Family Ties
by Tobiiiaaas
Summary: Family Ties bind us all: Jac and Jonny must face the world as new parents whilst a figure from Jac's past threatens to unravel everything. As events spiral out of control, and families and friends face challenges from all sides, life in Holby will never be the same again. Amidst it all, a life is lost in a desperate struggle for survival...
1. Chapter 1

PART ONE

Jac Naylor opened her eyes, blearily blinking in the dark. She turned her head to the right and stared at the alarm clock sitting on her bedside table. 2:30am. Jac groaned and clambered gracelessly out of the bed. For a few moments everything was quiet again and then she heard it. The soft pitiless wail of a distressed child coming from the room next door. She looked back at the bed, watching as Jonny shifted suddenly and immediately fell back to sleep. Jac felt the muscles in her face twinge as she smiled.

The wailing continued as Jac opened the door and stepped out on to the landing. She fumbled in the dark for the light switch and upon finding it, Jac flicked the switch and bathed the hall in bright white light. She yawned and swayed unsteadily on the spot before closing her hand around the nursery door handle. As the door swung open, Jac felt a sudden blast of wailing ringing in her ears. She strode over to the cot and picked up the sobbing baby, cradling the newborn in her arms.

Jac rocked her child gently from side to side, whispering a lullaby to try to soothe her. The baby continued to cry. She brushed the faint ginger hair out of her eyes.

"It's all right, it's all right," Jac whispered staring into the baby's big green eyes. The baby made a small sniffling sound and looked up at her mother. In an instant, Jac could feel her heart melting. "Are you hungry?" Jac asked softly. "Is that what you want darling?" The baby raised a chubby little finger and pointed at Jac.

The next morning dawned bright and early. Jonny was already at the breakfast table, munching his way through a bowl of cornflakes with a mug of steaming coffee sat beside it. He glanced up from his bowl as the kitchen door opened and Jac walked inside, her mouth open as she yawned loudly.

"Our little terror keep you up all night then?" Jonny asked with a wink at Jac. Jac scowled.

"I don't know why you're so cocky Maconie, it's your turn tonight."

"Touché." Jac pulled up a chair and sat opposite Jonny. Jonny swallowed another mouthful of cornflakes before continuing. "How is she anyway?"

"Sleeping. For once."

"She's probably worn herself out," Jonny said.

"She's worn me out," Jac muttered. "Five hours I've been awake already this morning. Five, long hours." She reached over and picked up Jonny's coffee mug.

"Hey that's-" Jonny began but his voice trailed away as Jac took an enormous gulp of hot coffee. "No, it's okay, you have it."

"I wasn't asking," Jac said and took another gulp. She yawned again. "There really isn't enough caffeine in this." Jonny raised an eyebrow at her. "Are you on shift today?" Momentarily distracted, Jonny didn't reply so Jac reached over, picked up a cornflake and threw it at him. It bounced off his nose and fell to the floor.

"What? Oh. Yeah, yeah I am." Jonny finished off the last of the cornflakes and jumped to his feet. "And actually, I'm running late."

"Better get going then or Mo will have your testicles so tightly squeezed in that vice you'll be singing in falsetto."

"Mo's just a big kitten," Jonny countered. Jac snorted derisively as Jonny walked over to her and kissed her cheek. "Bye, I'll see you later?" Jac nodded. "Love you Naylor."

"I love you too," Jac replied in a soft understated voice.

Jac blinked suddenly, staring out the kitchen window in surprise. She thought she saw...but no, she couldn't have done. She hadn't seen that girl in years. But then why? Jac shook her head sharply. No. It was impossible. Just a strange hallucination. You're dreaming Jac. That's all.

Sacha clapped his hand on Jonny's back in his usual friendly manner.

"So, how is she?"

"How's who?"

"Your daughter of course!" Sacha exclaimed.

"Just kidding, I knew who you meant," Jonny joked. He bit his lip, trying desperately not to laugh.

"Oh you-" And Sacha laughed, his face broadening into a wide smile.

"Since you asked so nicely," Jonny began but he dissolved quickly into a snort of laughter. He cleared his throat. "I mean err, she's great. Really great!"

"Keeping you up all night I expect?"

"We take it in turns. I'm on duty tonight."

"Better stock up on caffeine then my friend," Sacha told him. "It's gonna be a long night for you."

"I would, but Jac keeps drinking all of it." The expression Jonny made was so comical that Sacha couldn't help but laugh again.

"Well that's Jac for you," he said with a grin. "Listen, I'll let you get on. Lots to do today!"

"Tell me about it," Jonny replied. "All right, have a good one mate."

"You too," Sacha said as he headed off in the direction of AAU.

Jonny stood outside the lift, waiting patiently for the doors to slide open with the familiar and comforting: Doors opening airing from them. The hairs on the back his neck prickled suddenly and he looked behind, his left eyebrow arched. There was nothing out of the ordinary there, just people going about their lives. As normal. Yet Jonny could sense that something wasn't right. He felt like there was someone watching him from afar; not close enough to see but close enough that it made him feel unnerved. You're being stupid Maconie. No one is watching you. Even so, Jonny couldn't help but be worried. His instincts didn't often let him down.

Doors opening. The sound brought Jonny crashing back down to earth and he turned to face the now open lift. Jonny stepped inside and pressed the button for Darwin, shooting a last look out across the entrance room as the lift whirred into life. Doors closing. For a moment Jonny thought...He shook his head. He sighed in relief as the lift began to glide gently upwards.

"It's just you and me again today," Jac said as she sat in an armchair cradling her baby in her arms. "Daddy's working." The baby made a snuffling sound as she opened her eyes and gazed into Jac's. There was something about her that just managed to dissolve all of Jac's worries and fears with a single innocent look. She took hold of her tiny hand and her eyes lit up as the baby squeezed it gently. She gurgled and began to dribble out of the corner of her mouth. Jac giggled. She never used to be so easily won over by babies before. They were noisy, ugly, untrained creatures that denied you any form of social life. But as Jac stared into the eyes of her child, her own baby, she knew that no, that wasn't true. Not in the slightest. In reality they were beautiful, sweet, adorable. They relied on you completely, utterly for their lives. Jac was responsible for another life and it honestly felt good. She was ready for the challenge.

She stumbled through the hustle and bustle of the entrance, her eyes wide, searching desperately. It had been a mistake to go there this morning, she knew that now, but she had to see. She had to check. She took hold of her arm and found that she was trembling. It had been so close. She had nearly been seen. It wasn't time. She wasn't ready. Not yet.

She lost her balance, crashing to the floor as someone pushed past her at a fast paced sprint. Someone else grabbed her hand and helped her up; the world was spinning in her eyes, she couldn't focus.

Jonny's phone vibrated loudly in his top pocket. He picked it up and stared at the screen as it flashed 1 new message Jac Naylor at him. His lips curled into a cheeky smile.

"Patient, Maconie!" Mo called loudly, pulling him out of his happy trance.

"Just a minute!" Jonny opened the message and began to read.

"Surely your sex life can wait?" Mo shouted deliberately as several patients' heads turned to look at Jonny quizzically. Jonny sighed.

"It might be important, please Mo." The look on Jonny's face was so pitiful and pleading that Mo had to give in.

"Okay, you can have five minutes, no more!" Jonny kissed her forehead.

"You're an angel Mo!" Mo snorted.

"Just get on with it!"

"I'm going, I'm going!" Jonny walked away, holding his phone in his outstretched hand and reading the message carefully.

Get some nappies after your shift. We're running low already. Jac xxx. Jonny made an expression that was halfway between a smile and joking exasperation as he made to reply.

Gotcha. Jonny xxx. He locked his phone and placed it back in his top pocket.

"Are you okay?" She heard the voice speak but she couldn't fathom the words, it all seemed so alien. "Do you want me to get someone for you?"

She opened her mouth and spoke with a quiet, feeble whisper. "I'm fine, I'll be fine." She let go of the strangers hand, staggering as she made a valiant attempt to regain her balance.

"Where are you headed?"

"Darwin, I need to get Darwin," she said, her expression determined.

"Take the lift over there-" The stranger pointed over his shoulder. "And choose the sixth floor." The girl nodded, thanking the stranger. She turned to leave. "Hey," the stranger began. She looked back at him, her eyes wide in surprise. "I'm Nick. I was wondering if...perhaps I could have your number?" She thought about this and nodded with a smile. No one had ever asked for her number before. She took a pen out of her handbag and scribbled the number on the open palm of his right hand. Nick sighed with relief. The girl turned to leave again but Nick's voice broke through the air once more. "You didn't tell me your name?"

"Oh it's Jasmine, Jasmine Burrows."

TO BE CONTINUED


	2. Chapter 2

PART TWO

Jonny woke up with a start. He was covered in a cold sweat and his heart was racing. He blinked, rubbing his eyes with his hands as he tried to calm himself down. It had all felt so real, he thought. He rolled over onto his side to see Jac sleeping beside him, her mouth slightly agape. Everything was quiet. Jonny rolled back over to check the alarm clock. It was still early. As he closed his eyes, Jonny felt sleep overtake him again and he drifted back into his dreamworld.

He was standing in the hallway; looking down as smoke began to billow behind him. He turned as the door to his right suddenly opened and he saw Jac standing there, her face red with panic strewn across. She wasn't carrying the baby. Jonny's heart began to thump loudly. He turned back to the nursery but it was too late, flames were licking at the wood and the brass handle glowed white hot. If she was still in her cot, there was no hope for her, Jonny thought, running his fingers through his hair with despair. Jac began to walk in a trance towards the nursery. Jonny tried to shout but no words would come out. He watched in horror as Jac placed her bare hand around the doorknob and twisted it; her eyes widened with earsplitting pain pulsating through her. A sudden silence. Jonny watched. He waited. Then in the distance, a faint rumbling noise and as Jonny looked up to its source he saw the ceiling crack. Seconds later the ceiling collapsed in on itself and collided with Jonny, trapping him under a pile of rubble. Jonny's ears were ringing.

Jonny found himself being shaken awake by Jac.

"It's your turn, come on wake up." Jac was staring at him, her expression determined. As Jonny slowly returned to the real world he could finally hear then noise that had awoken Jac. Their baby was howling and Jonny laughed. Before Jac could say anything, he grabbed her and hugged her tightly, still laughing. "What's the matter with you?" Jac asked, incredulously.

"Nothing!" Jonny said as he leapt out of the bed. He shifted his feet into a pair of slippers and walked towards the door. Jac stared after him. She was half-smiling, half-exasperated.

Jasmine stifled a yawn with the back of her hand as she peered down the patient notes. It was only her second day here at Holby and as a newly qualified student nurse she was determined to do her best.

"Late night was it?" Drawled Michael Spence who had appeared behind her out of the shadows of AAU. Jasmine looked flustered.

"I...I, no, I mean err, I..."

"It's okay, you're new, it takes a little time to settle in," Michael smiled at her. A thought crossed Jasmine's mind. He doesn't remember me. But that was to be expected, they had only met once around four years ago.

"Professor Hope sent me down here to speak to a patient, but I can't find him..." Jasmine's voice trailed off, she looked helpless.

"Did he tell you the name?"

"Oh erm, Christophe Schneider." She pondered this for a second. "That's a German name isn't it?" Michael just smiled.

"He's over there," he told her, pointing at the far end of the ward. Jasmine began to walk towards him, but Michael held her back. "Did Professor Hope say why he sent you?" Jasmine shook her head. "He must have said something," Michael insisted. Again, Jasmine shook her head. "I'm gonna call him." As Michael raised his hand to pick up the phone, Jasmine flinched as though scared he was going to hit her.

There was something about her, Michael thought. Something that he couldn't quite put his finger on. He gazed from the long flowing red hair to the pale scared body that owned it. She reminded him of someone.

"Have we met before?" He asked. Jasmine's eyes lit up in surprise. She considered this.

"No," she lied.

"Funny, I coulda sworn I knew you from somewhere."

Jasmine didn't know why she had lied to Michael. What did it matter if they had met before anyway? She rubbed her arm gently, screwing up her eyes as though she had touched a bruise.

Eyes turned round in surprise as a redhead Consultant stepped out of the lift onto Darwin Ward. There were murmurings of gossip but Jac Naylor walked straight past them, her head held high. She pushed open the door to her shared office.

"What are you doing here?" Elliot asked, lifting his eyes up from his book. His tone was one of mild surprise.

"I work here," Jac said stoically.

"What about your baby?"

"Jonny's looking after her," Jac replied. Elliot looked at her quizzically.

"There's been a couple of changes since you were last here," he told her and watched as Jac's expression turned icy.

"What?"

"Nothing major, there's a new student nurse doing a rotation on Darwin and the on-call room is currently closed for refurbishment." Jac felt a twinge of disappointment at this news.

"Who's the nurse?" Elliot frowned. "Don't tell me, you've forgotten their name?" Jac laughed derisively. "I'll ask them myself then." Jac swept out of the office leaving Elliot alone with his book.

"Do you need changing?" Jonny asked as his baby looked up at him with red blotchy eyes. "Yes, I think you do." He grimaced. "That's a lot of mess for such a wee thing," he muttered. The baby made a soft gurgling sound like she was giggling. Jonny's face beamed. "Just you and me today, mummy's working." The baby gurgled again; small drops of saliva formed at the corners of her mouth.

The arrangement they had come up with was working so far but what would they do when they ended up working the same shift? This had crossed Jonny's mind numerous times before since the baby's birth. He knew the obvious solution, a childminder. Yet Jonny wanted to watch his child grow up, he didn't want those precious experiences to be seen by a childminder who would see it as nothing more than a simple job. Jonny sighed. This was something he and Jac would have to discuss.

Jac stared at Jasmine from behind, watching her as she got on with her duties. The girl seemed nervous, almost terrified. Ugh. She was probably going to mess up like all the rest, Jac thought distastefully. Then she'll start crying and she'll need support and all of that rubbish. Why couldn't these students have just a little more conviction? The girl turned around.

Jac didn't notice the folder slide out of her fingers and crash to the floor with an almighty clatter. Her eyes widened in shock and disbelief. She barely registered as the nurse picked up the folder and handed it back to her.

"I'm Jasmine," the nurse said, offering her hand to Jac. Jac ignored it.

"Jac Naylor," Jac muttered feebly. She was still numb with shock.

"I've been looking for your for a long time," Jasmine told her.

TO BE CONTINUED


	3. Chapter 3

PART THREE

Jac's nostrils were flared and her chest heaved up and down as she marched along the hallway. No one who passed dared to look at her; her eyes flashed pure anger. At last she reached her destination and tapped loudly on the wooden door. Her knock echoed and reverberated through the tense silence. The time had just ticked past 10pm.

"Enter," said a sharp voice from within. Jac closed her eyes and pushed open the door.

SIX HOURS EARLIER

Nick looked up and a broad smile stretched across his face. He beckoned at Jasmine to come and join him. Jasmine held back for a moment, her face pale and anxious. With a deep breath, Jasmine took the plunge and stepped forward.

Nick was standing by the bar in Albies, a half pint of Guinness sitting partially drunk in front of him.

"I was beginning to think you weren't going to show," he said with a dry laugh as Jasmine stood beside him.

"Sorry, I got held back," Jasmine explained with a suppressed yawn. "Busy day, sorry." Nick made to hold her arm but Jasmine turned the other way.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Nick offered.

"Nah it's all right thanks, can I get a drink?" Nick laughed.

"Sure thing Jas, what do you want?" Jasmine thought for a moment, considering her options.

"I'll have a coke thanks," She caught Nick's raised eyebrow. "I'm back on shift at 7." Nick clicked his finger and a grubby barman turned towards him, scowling.

"Can I get a glass of coke for the lady here?" Nick asked with a deliberate smile. The barman said nothing and merely went about his business. A few minutes later he returned with a near full glass and slammed it on the table.

"2 quid," he said gruffly. Nick flipped a two-pound coin out of his pocket and rolled it at the barman who scooped it up and tossed it into the till with a gentle chime. Jasmine took a sip.

"That is quite spectacularly..."

"Awful," they said together. They laughed.

"You infuriating man!" An angry voice drifted over to them from the far corner of the bar. Jasmine looked in the direction of the voice with mild surprise on her face.

"Who's that?" She asked Nick curiously.

"By the sound of it, Serena Campbell; she's the scary boss around here, works on Keller mostly." Nick paused. "Us guys in Neurology don't often come across the big bad wolf." Jasmine took another sip of flat coke.

"And who's the 'infuriating man'?" Nick snorted.

"That would be Edward Campbell, Serena's wonderful ex-husband," Nick explained. "He arrived in the summer, initially on a temporary basis but as you can see, he's still here. Much to Ms. Campbell's dismay."

"Shush, they're coming over," Jasmine whispered. Sure enough, Serena and Edward were approaching the bar, bickering all the way.

"Why are you even still here Edward?"

"You know why."

"I know the official reason, I just don't know why you insist on staying."

"You can't dictate where I work Serena, I know it's not ideal-"

"We agreed Edward, we agreed to live and work separate lives." Nick saw his chance and took it.

"Afternoon Edward," Nick said. "Ms. Campbell," he nodded at Serena politely. Serena's face went from ashen to solemn acknowledgement at the speed of lightning.

"Oh hi Nick," Edward replied. "We didn't see you there."

"No matter," Nick told him. "Oh before I forget, this is Jasmine, she's a student nurse on Darwin." Jasmine looked nervously down at her feet.

"You must be the new nurse then," Serena said, examining Jasmine up and down with a raised eyebrow. "Hmm, not bad I suppose. You have strength." Jasmine stared at her. "Two redheads on Darwin Ward, god help us," she muttered distractedly. "Have you met Ms. Naylor yet?" Serena asked Jasmine suddenly.

"She's my sister," Jasmine said in a low voice under her breath. Edward, Nick and Serena both looked at her with expressions of utter amazement.

"I beg your pardon?" Serena asked.

"Jac Naylor, she's my sister, well half sister really..." Jasmine's voice trailed away and she turned back to her coke. The hairs on her neck were prickling.

"Well this is certainly a turn up for the books," Serena said with a sly smile. "Who'd have thought it..."

"I'll catch up with the guys from Neurology on Friday," Edward told Nick as he and Serena headed for the exit. Nick turned back to Jasmine, but she was gone.

Jac frowned at the noticeboard in the staffroom. She squinted and then moved closer to it.

Naylor has a half-sister. Time to panic. Jac's eyes flashed furiously. She ripped down the notice and scrunched it up in her fist. The door behind her opened.

"What do you mean by this?!" Jac exploded as Jasmine pushed her way into the staffroom. She froze, taken aback by Jac's hostility.

"What?"

"This!" Jac demanded, thrusting the scrunched up note into Jasmine's open palm. "This has your number written all over it!" Jasmine was staring at Jac, her eyes wide and fearful. Jac had clearly lost her mind. She slowly unfolded the crumpled paper and gazed at the message written on it.

"I didn't write this," she said meekly.

"I told you to keep it to yourself but no, you had to make a big announcement," Jac was raging.

"I'm telling you, I didn't write this," Jasmine pleaded. Jac looked at her in surprise.

"You didn't write this note?" Jac queried, an uncertain expression now falling across her face.

"I did not write that note," Jasmine said with newfound determination.

"Then how did they find out?" Jasmine felt the colour drain out of her cheeks. Jac rounded on her. "What have you done? Tell me!"

"I...told Serena and her husband Edward..." Jasmine fell silent as Jac shot her an icy stare.

"You did what?"

"I just let it slip...I'm sorry."

"Yeah, well sorry isn't good enough Princess." Jac pushed past Jasmine and stormed out of the staffroom, leaving Jasmine alone and defenceless.

9pm

Jac was having the worst possible shift she had had for a long time. She could sense people gossiping about her connection to the new nurse all around her and feel their gazes upon her as she went about her ward duties. She also felt extremely self conscious about her appearance. Jac peered down at her stomach. It still hadn't returned to what it had been before the pregnancy. This caused another pang in Jac's heart. She missed her baby. She missed holding her little Hollie in her arms and cradling her. She missed hearing Jonny sing her a lullaby, badly, to try to get the little monster to fall asleep.

"Jac..." Jasmine's voice was barely audible above the sounds of the busy ward. "Ms. Naylor!" Jasmine raised her voice.

"What do you want?" Jac said exasperated, hardly noticing her.

"I need you to supervise me..." Jasmine's voice was barely no louder than a mumble.

"Just go away Jasmine. I don't have time for you right now." Jasmine did not move.

"I'm not going to let you jeopardise my career because you can't keep your personal feelings under check." An awkward silence descended between them. Jasmine couldn't believe her own daring. Jac was looking at her with indignant rage brewing.

"I'm sorry, I think I must have misheard you. I'm sure I didn't hear you speak to a consultant like that, did I?" Jasmine said nothing. "Did I?!" Jac demanded, her hands shaking.

"You're pathetic," Jasmine said, looking straight into Jac's eyes without flinching. "You stand there barking orders and telling people what to do, acting like you're better than everybody else. Well, I've got news for you Jac, you're not. You're just a pathetic young woman who thinks the world owes her a living. It doesn't." Jasmine was breathing heavily as she stopped speaking.

"Have you quite finished," Jac said quietly and dangerously. Jasmine drew herself up to her full height.

"No, I haven't quite finished." She paused. "I can see why mum left you behind. I wouldn't have wanted a spoilt brat for a daughter either." What happened next knocked Jasmine for six. Jac's right hand whistled through the air and collided with Jasmine's left cheek so hard she felt herself stagger backwards; there were stars in front of her eyes and her face was burning from where she'd been struck. She felt the injury with her hand; it was wet. As she lowered her hand, Jasmine saw that it was covered in blood. She looked at Jac who was watching her, an expression of fury etched across her face. There was no sign of any remorse.

"My office Ms. Naylor," said a calm, yet menacing voice behind her. "10 o'clock." Hanssen strode away from the commotion and it was only then that Jac realised the whole ward had been watching their altercation.

"What do you want?" Jac demanded; her eyes were streaming. "Don't you all have jobs to get back to?" The ward was silent. No one spoke. Jac spotted Elliot staring at her, his face a picture of sadness and disappointment. Jac Naylor had never felt so small in all her life.

9:58pm

Jasmine dabbed at her bleeding cheek in the bathroom mirror. She was as white as a sheet and her hands were still shaking from the encounter. She grimaced as a sudden sharp pain pulsated through her. She rinsed the cloth under the cold tap and dabbed at her cheek again. Jac's fingernails had been sharp; Jasmine remembered the pain she had felt as they had torn through her skin. She pulled up her left sleeve and stared at the thick purple bruise that spread from her shoulder to her elbow. She touched it with a pale a finger and winced.

The door to the bathroom opened and Jasmine quickly pulled down her sleeve, hiding her bruise from the world again. She resumed dabbing at her cheek in silence as the other nurse strode to the sink next to her. Jasmine carefully avoided her gaze.

"Enter," Hanssen's voice called out. Jac pushed open the door and stepped into his office. "Sit," Hanssen barked. Jac pulled up a chair in front of his desk and sat down. She was shaking, her face white with anger and her eyes blotchy from silent tears streaming down her cheeks. "Never in all my time here have I seen such utterly despicable behaviour," Hanssen was furious. "What do you have to say for yourself?" Jac shrugged and said nothing. She was too angry to speak. "I am absolutely disgusted with you," Hanssen continued. Jac let out a deep breath.

"What do you want me to say?" Jac asked, looking at Hanssen with determined eyes. "That I'm sorry?"

"It would be a start," Hanssen said icily.

"I'm sorry I didn't hit her harder," Jac replied, using up every last ounce of defiance she had left.

"You are beyond help Ms. Naylor, this incident cannot be pushed under the carpet with an anger management course, I'm sure you understand?" Jac nodded. Hanssen sighed and for the first time, Jac noticed a pained expression in his eyes. "You'll have to explain you actions to the board."

"I see."

"Until then you are suspended from work until further notice without pay. You will hand in your pass to security on your way out. Effective immediately." Jac was numb. She couldn't believe what she was hearing, but then, as she reflected on it, she knew that she probably deserved everything she got. She had let her temper get the better of her. Hanssen was peering at her over the top of his glasses. Jac wiped away a fresh tear as she turned away from him. "I'm sorry Jac, you leave me no choice." Jac was taken aback by Hanssen's apparent remorse.

Jac found herself standing in the hospital car park all alone. Tears streamed freely down her cheeks and she had given up trying to brush them away. It was pitch black. There was a sudden scuffling sound behind her. Her phone began to ring; vibrating silently in her pocket. Jac answered it with trembling fingers.

"Hello" Jonny's voice greeted her. "Are you all right?"

"I think I'm in trouble Jonny," Jac said in a scared voice. Before Jonny could answer her, Jac felt her phone knocked roughly out of her hand. She turned to face her assailant but was met with a shuddering blow to the stomach, winding her. Jac stumbled to her knees as her chest and stomach were pummelled with punches. She made a feeble attempt to defend herself but a sharp shoe struck her in the face, breaking her nose. Jac was coughing blood, spluttering and struggling to breathe. She screwed up her eyes, willing for it all to be over. Jac screamed as she took another kick to her ribs and made a desperate reach for her phone.

"Jac? Jac can you hear me? What's going on? Jac?"

TO BE CONTINUED


	4. Chapter 4

PART FOUR

Jac's ears were ringing. She spat blood out onto the cold tarmac and her head felt as if it had been slammed into concrete. She tried to move but the effort was too painful. Her legs were numb. She felt a heavy foot pressing down on her back; Jac tried to twist her neck to see. Her heart was pounding. This is it. Jac felt the foot lift up, releasing her. She dared not move. The moment that followed was one of eerie silence, just waiting. Her heart began to beat faster than ever and then it happened. The foot came whistling back down through the hair and collided with her back so hard, her spine buckled. Jac's face slammed into the tarmac and her cheek scraped along it. Her assailant strode towards to her discarded phone and bent down to pick it up. They stared at the screen; still showing the ongoing conversation with Jonny. Without a word, the attacker took aim and threw the phone on to the ground forcefully where it smashed beyond all recognition. Jac saw the attacker look back at her just for a brief second and then he was gone.

It started to rain. Jac attempted to move again but her legs stayed stuck fast. Her torso ached so much but she couldn't feel a thing below her waist. She began to whimper until at last the agony overtook her and she slipped out of all consciousness. The cold wet rainwater splattered against her lifeless body. No one was coming for her. No one knew she was here. Blood trickling from her body mingled with the rain and soaked the tarmac. No one was coming.

Jonny Maconie stared at his phone. Current call: Jac Naylor. He was breathing heavily. He lifted it to his ear and heard the static again. The line was dead. He moved his fingers to the end call button; they were trembling. Something had happened. Something must have happened. He knew it in his heart. He dialled the only number he could think of for help.

"Jonny Mac?" Mo's familiar comforting voice drifted out to him. He tried to speak but no words came out. "Jonny are you there? Is this some kind of game?" Jonny opened his mouth and swallowed. "Jac is that you?"

"It's me," Jonny said at last, his voice hollow and empty.

"What's wrong? Come on Jonny you can tell me?" Jonny swallowed dryly again.

"It's Jac," he began but his speech cracked and he found he could not continue.

"Jonny you're scaring me mate, what's going on?" The expression in Mo's voice was full of concern.

"She hasn't come home, Mo, she's missing."

"How do you know she hasn't just-" Mo began.

"I was talking to her!" Jonny shouted. "I was talking and then her phone just went dead."

"Maybe her battery just died Jonny, it happens," Mo tried to reason with him calmly.

"Her battery didn't die. Someone took it off her!"

"I'm coming round," Mo sounded determined. "Don't do anything stupid." Jonny hung up without saying goodbye. He began to pace around the kitchen wordlessly. Every now and then he would glance up at the clock but time was moving so slowly.

"Oi Jonny Mac!" Mo's loud voice filled the air. "Open this door would you? It's freezing out here!" Jonny walked up to the kitchen door and pulled the bolt back. Mo pushed the door open. "That is one storm brewing out there," Mo said, shaking water onto the floor. Jonny stared at her in silence. It took Mo one single look to know that Jonny was a state. There was anxiety and worry stretched all over his face and he clearly hadn't drunk or ate anything. "Jonny mate, you need to tell me everything." Jonny closed his eyes and shook.

"There's not much to tell."

"Just tell that then," Mo was doing her best to be comforting.

"I...Jac had finished her shift. Early, but I don't know why. We were talking and then nothing..."

"Where's Hollie?" Mo asked suddenly.

"She's upstairs, sleeping. I don't want to wake her," Jonny's voice was beginning to crack more than ever.

"Where was Jac when you spoke to her?"

"The car park...I think," Jonny told her and with a deft hand movement, wiped away a tear that had dripped from his eye.

"Do you want me to stay with Hollie?" Mo asked. She was worrying for Jonny now, but she knew that if he didn't do something he would blame himself if anything had happened to her.

"I need to find her," Jonny replied. Salty tears were now falling rapidly from both eyes. He stepped into the hall and put on his raincoat. Jonny felt his car keys weighing down in one of the pockets. "I'll call you," he told her and opened the front door. Mo took a deep breath, watching him stride out into the cold wet night.

The windscreen wipers worked furiously as Jonny drove through the downpour. He blinked and another tear dripped onto the floor of the car; he had given up trying to wipe them away now. He just had to keep on driving. He had to find her. The visibility was poor and it was difficult to see where he was going.

"The turning has to be soon, come on!" Jonny muttered to himself under his breath. He slammed on the brakes and the car came to a shuddering halt. Rain pounded the metal roof, echoing through the car. Jonny wound down the window and looked out behind him. He could feel his heart beating furiously in his chest. Jonny closed the window and started the engine again. The car coughed to life. Putting it into reverse, Jonny drove the car back a few yards and made the turning.

He could see the familiar lights just ahead and urged the car forward. Everything seemed far too quiet. He turned the key in the ignition and the engine whimpered and died. Jonny's chest heaved up and down as he opened the car door gingerly. He stepped out into the torrential rain and started to search though the quiet car park.

"Jac?" He shouted. "Can you hear me?" Jonny's voice was echoing through the night air but there was no reply. If Jac was here, she either wouldn't or couldn't answer. "JAC!" Jonny raised his voice as loud as he could but there was still no response. The rain was pounding him unrelentingly. Jonny turned a corner and yelled again: "JAC!"

He squinted at the far end of the row of cars. There was something lying on the ground, something limp. A body. Jonny's mind filled with all his worst fears as he began to run towards it. Please no. Please no, he thought desperately. Jonny broke out into a sprint, ignoring the stitch in his chest. Adrenaline filled his body as he ran. Please not her.

Jac Naylor was lying spreadeagled in a puddle of dirty rainwater and her own blood. She wasn't breathing. Her hair was matted with dried blood and there were large lesions all over her legs and arms. Jonny knew better than to move her but his heart sunk at the sight of her bloodied nose and two shining black eyes. She felt freezing. Jonny got up and looked around for the hospital entrance.

"I NEED SOME HELP HERE!" Jonny screamed. He bent over Jac and tried to help her but his hands froze. He couldn't do anything. His whole body was locking down. "I NEED HELP! SOMEBODY! ANYBODY!" Jonny's voice was growing hoarse from all the shouting he'd done. Footsteps. Jonny wheeled around and stared at the distant entrance. He thought he could just make out the silhouette of someone jogging towards them.

At last the figure came into view; it was Sacha.

"Jonny?" he said, bewildered. "Jonny, what's going..." Sacha stopped speaking and he gazed in horror at the sight of Jac lying there. "Jonny?"

"I just found her like that," Jonny's voice broke. His eyes were red and blotchy from his tears. Sacha swallowed uncertainly and then drew himself up to his full height.

"Jonny, we need to get her inside now. If we don't she is going to die." Jonny didn't move. "Do you understand me?" Jonny nodded. The two men felt numb every time they looked at her. "I'll get a trolley," Sacha told him. "Wait here."

"I'm not going anywhere," Jonny said, standing by Jac. "I'm not leaving her."

TO BE CONTINUED


	5. Chapter 5

PART FIVE

The mood on Darwin was sombre. No one looked up as Hanssen delivered the news about Jac. Jasmine nursed the bruise on her cheek and stared into space. Elliot appeared distracted; he kept clutching at his tie and then letting it drop back against his stomach. The rain was still pounding the windows and the distant rumble of thunder was drawing ever closer.

"As you are no doubt aware, a terrible event has occurred here tonight," Hanssen announced. There were a few breathless mumbles. "Ms. Naylor has been gravely injured; her attacker is still at large and I beg all of you to be utterly, utterly vigilant at all times." Elliot nodded. Jasmine stepped forward, her manner uncertain, almost timid.

"Could she die?" Jasmine asked, her voice cracking. Hanssen turned to look at the skinny, frightened young nurse.

"It would be remiss of me to lie to you at this difficult time," Hanssen began. Then he stopped, taking time to choose his words carefully. They were all hanging on to his every movement. "Yes, I'm afraid she could. Her injuries are severe." There were more fevered whispers at this pronouncement. "Ms. Naylor is currently in theatre and Mr. Spence is taking very good care of her." Hanssen attempted a soft smile, evidently hoping to reassure them. "I'll let you all know of any future developments." They stared at him but it was clear that Hanssen had nothing more to say. He turned and swept away. Elliot shifted his gaze onto Jasmine.

"If you need to take time off," Elliot told her, kindly. "I completely understand." Jasmine shook her head.

"I'm fine," she lied. A sudden thought struck Elliot.

"Should we call Paula?" Jasmine shook her head again. "Is there something you're not telling us?"

"No. She wouldn't come," Jasmine said.

"She deserves to know," Elliot insisted.

"Mum got what she wanted from Jac. She wants to keep her distance," Jasmine was looking up at the lights as she said this. Elliot shot her a dubious look.

Jonny watched from the window of the waiting room as forked lightning flashed across the moonless sky. The rain pattered against the glass, causing it to rattle in the pane. The soft rumble of thunder shook the room followed by another flash of lightning ten seconds later. He didn't like this interminable waiting. Jac had been in surgery for over three hours now and there was still no word or news about anything. Just...nothing. Another sharp flash of lightning burned in the sky like a bed sheet on fire.

The door opened suddenly and Jonny wheeled around in a flash. His face fell as he saw it was only Sacha.

"Any news?" Sacha asked, his mood solemn. Jonny said nothing. "It's the waiting that really gets you isn't it?" Jonny could tell that Sacha was trying to comfort him.

"I just need to be alone," Jonny said at last. "Please." Sacha placed his arm around Jonny's shoulders.

"I understand," Sacha said as he released him and turned to leave. Jonny opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.

Little Hollie was crying loudly as Mo tried to rock her to sleep. She hadn't stopped for the last hour and it was now getting very late. Mo checked her phone; there were still no new messages since the one Jonny had sent her earlier.

I'm scared.

Mo had replied but she had heard nothing more from him, or anyone. She gazed down at Hollie's small face, perfectly formed with a small baby nose and rosy cheeks.

"Hush little baby don't say a word, Mo's gonna buy you a mockingbird." Hollie made a gurgling noise as Mo sang softly. "And if that mockingbird don't sing, Mo's gonna buy you a diamond ring." Hollie blinked a silver tear out of her wide eyes. "And if that diamond ring turns brass, Mo's gonna buy you a looking glass." She could sense Hollie was already growing sleepy. "And if that looking glass gets broke, Mo's gonna buy you a billy goat." She didn't even notice her own tear falling silently down her cheek. "And if that billy goat don't pull, Mo's gonna buy you a cart and bull." Hollie's eyes began to droop. "And if that cart and bull turn over, Mo's gonna buy you a dog named Rover." Mo continued to rock Hollie in her arms as she sang. "And if that dog named Rover don't bark, Mo's gonna buy you a horse and cart." She made a soft neighing noise after this line; Hollie gurgled laughter. "Shush," Mo whispered. "And if that horse and cart fall down, you'll still be the sweetest baby in town." As she looked down at the baby resting in her arms she saw that at last the child had fallen asleep. Mo laid her sleeping body inside her cot and tucked her under the sheets. "Sleep tight little one," Mo whispered. "Mummy and daddy will come home soon." Mo glanced behind her. "I hope," she murmured.

Jonny had taken to pacing slowly around the relatives room. There was nothing for him to do. Every few steps he would stop, turn and face the door, willing it to open. But no one had come since Sacha. He was all alone as he waited. Yet the news never came. Jac was still in theatre. He saw his phone flash on the small coffee table but he turned away from it. He didn't feel up to speaking to anyone right now.

"I can't believe anyone would do that to her," Sacha said in a low whisper to Elliot. The two medics were sipping mugs of coffee in the reception café.

"Do we know who it was?" Elliot asked quietly. Sacha shook his head.

"Whoever it was did a runner," he sighed. "There was no one anywhere near when we found her."

"What did they want?" Elliot demanded, he shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Both men appeared agitated. "They didn't take anything? She wasn't mugged?"

"There was nothing missing, the police think it was just a random attack," Sacha's voice was quiet.

"It's cowardice. That's what it is. Plain and simple cowardice." Elliot looked defiant.

"I can't imagine how Jonny's holding up," said Sacha as he took another sip of scalding coffee. Elliot shook his head sadly.

"We need more security," Chantelle told a red-faced Serena. "There are too many attacks on staff members and we need to know we're safe!" Her expression was passionate as she spoke. Serena took a deep intake of breath and smiled.

"Chantelle, rest assured the safety of my staff is of the utmost concern to me."

"That's the thing, we can't rest assured. Not after what's happened to Ms. Naylor and I don't know about you but I always considered her to be strong and well, you know, able to stand her ground. Now we don't know whether she's going to live or die and it's not good enough Ms. Campbell, it's just not good enough." Chantelle breathed out heavily as she finished speaking.

"I understand what you're getting at Chantelle, believe me I do." Serena held up her hand as Chantelle opened her mouth to argue her point further. "But, and this is the big but, we simply do not have enough money to hire additional security. I'm sorry, but it's out of my hands." Chantelle looked appalled at this.

"Safety should not be a matter of money."

"I quite agree with you but this is the way the world works."

"It's wrong," Chantelle cried out, wringing her hands. Serena smiled gently.

"If I could make it work, I would." Serena marched away, leaving Chantelle alone with her thoughts.

Jonny stopped pacing immediately as the door opened, revealing Michael Spence standing in the shadows, still in his surgical scrubs. He could feel a small lump building in his throat as he waited for Michael to deliver the news, good or bad. The lump grew bigger and bigger as Michael drew closer.

"It's over is it?" Jonny asked, his voice barely more than a cracked whisper. Michael nodded.

"There were complications in theatre, she went into septic shock but-"

"She didn't make it did she?" Jonny tried to swallow but the lump in his throat prevented it.

"We managed to get her back and the procedure was a success," Michael finished determinedly. Jonny's eyes were glistening in the dark. "She's not out of the woods yet, but she's alive."

"Can I see her?" Michael paused; he looked unsure of how to proceed.

"She hasn't regained consciousness Jonny." Jonny's face fell as though his brief moment of relief had been cruelly swept away. "I should warn you. There's a chance she may never wake up. The injuries to her head were severe."

"Michael, I need you to be honest with me. Is there a chance, a wee chance that she will wake up?" A grim silence descended between the pair as Michael considered his options.

"Yes," he said at last. "There is a small chance." He made to leave.

"Michael?" He turned back to stare at Jonny. "Thank you."

"It's not over yet," Michael said and left the room. Alone once again, Jonny didn't know whether the news made it any less unbearable. He still didn't know whether Jac was going to live or die. In truth, Michael hadn't really told him anything at all. He let out a deep sigh and picked up his phone. There were six new messages flashing at him.

Jonny what's happened?

Pick up your phone!

I'm worried about you...

Jonny Mac please!

No one's telling me anything, Jonny?

Hollie's asleep. She misses you. She misses you both.

The last message hit Jonny like a blow to the stomach. In his worry and shock over Jac he had forgotten about their child. How could he forget? I'm a useless father, he thought hollowly. He started to text back but his fingers wouldn't work. He kept trying to type but none of the words he wanted to say appeared on the screen. Frustrated, Jonny slammed his phone back down on the coffee table and turned away from it.

Outside in the night the storm had still not relented and the rain still splattered the windows of the hospital. The mood was dark as the staff went about their duties. Jasmine had agreed to do a double night shift, not because she needed the money but because she needed something to take her mind off Jac. The police were asking each of them in turn whether they had seen anything that might have seemed suspicious but no one had seen a thing. One minute Jac had been fine, the next she was being wheeled onto AAU on a trolley...Jasmine could remember the look of utter despair in Jonny's eyes as he relinquished control of the trolley into Michael's hands. She had never seen anyone look so completely lost and helpless before; it made her want to say something, any words of comfort but her voice had left her. Instead she had just watched in silence. Moments later her pager had bleeped and Jasmine found herself in the lift back up to Darwin.

"We understand you and Ms. Naylor had a row prior to the assault," Jasmine looked round to see a tall policeman with silver hair baring down on her. She nodded. "What was this row about?"

"Family ties, that's all," Jasmine said in a weak voice.

"Anything specific?"

"No."

"What do you mean by family ties Miss Burrows?"

"She's my sister." The policeman shot her a dubious look. "Well, half-sister."

"Did you see where she went after your argument?" Jasmine shook her head. "Very well, do you know anyone who might want to hurt her?" Jasmine shook her head again.

"I'm sorry, I barely know her." She looked over her shoulder. "Please, can I get back to work?" The policeman nodded.

"I'll come find you if I need a statement," he said before walking away. Jasmine looked down at her knees. They were shaking.

Jonny stood by the wall, his mood contemplative. He started to sing quietly under his breath.

"What becomes of the broken hearted who have love that's now departed, I know I've got to find some kind of peace of mind...maybe..." Jonny's voice broke. He gazed out at the heavy downpour. Somehow the rain was soothing; it never pretended to be anything more or less than it was. It was just rain. Simple rain.

"Jonny can I have a word?" Michael had returned and with a simple look Jonny knew that things were not all right. Michael appeared worn out, there was blood on his scrubs and he had dark bags under his eyes.

"Tell me what's happened. Please don't dress it up, I need to know." Michael took a moment to gather his full strength.

"Would you like to sit down?" He offered. Jonny shook his head firmly.

"I'm fine where I am."

"Are you-"

"Just tell me." Michael paused.

"Jac went into cardiac arrest just now, we got her back. She's stable but she's being transferred up to ITU." Michael looked at Jonny for any signs of a reaction but the nurse just stared back at him, numb from shock. "Her condition is critical; the next twenty-four hours are crucial."

"Hope's slipping away isn't it?" Jonny asked in a ragged whisper.

"There's always hope," Michael said but his voice betrayed him. "Come on, you can't stay here all night."

"Why not?"

"You need to be with your daughter." The words cut across Jonny's heart. He nodded.

"Can I have a moment please?" Jonny said. "I need time to think."

"You're gonna have plenty of that," Michael told him with a tinge of sadness in his manner. "I'll order you a taxi, you're in no fit state to drive." Without waiting for an answer, Michael left the room leaving Jonny alone with his thoughts.

Jonny bit his lip hard; he felt the blood trickling down his chin but he didn't care.

"This isn't fair," he murmured. "This isn't fair," his voice grew louder. "THIS ISN'T FAIR!" He screamed the words like a maniac and slammed his fist in to the stone cold wall. Earsplitting pain filled him as he drew his hand away and saw that it was bent out of shape. He cursed under his breath, nursing his hand and wincing as he touched it.

"What's going on?" Michael had returned.

"I had a disagreement. With the wall," Jonny said and winced again.

"I'll check you over, come on." Jonny didn't answer.

"Do you think she's in pain?" He asked. His demeanour was reflective as he spoke. Michael looked extremely uncomfortable.

"The kind option is to believe that she's not suffering but the truth is we simply do not know." Jonny thought about this.

"Michael?"

"I'm here," Michael's heart was thumping as he waited for Jonny to speak.

"I'm not leaving her."

TO BE CONTINUED


	6. Chapter 6

PART SIX

Jac Naylor looked peaceful as she lay with her eyes closed tightly shut amongst the tubes and wires of the respirator. Her chest heaved up and down but Jonny knew it was only because of the machine. He had sat by her side for five days now, only leaving her to take care of their daughter, but there had still been no change in her condition.

Jonny stared at her, willing her eyes to open, for her to wake up and tell him not to be such an idiot. But she didn't wake up. She couldn't wake up. Her chest heaved again and for a moment Jonny's heart fluttered and then the realisation dawned on him once more.

"Wake up, please wake up," Jonny murmured. His voice was soft; it cracked as he spoke and trailed off into an uncomfortable silence. "Please just stop this...I...we need you Jac. I can't do this alone." For a moment he thought he saw her eyes flicker, just for a second but when he looked again they remained firmly closed. Jonny had experienced many tricks like that over the past few days. He supposed it was to be expected; he longed for her to recover.

He heard a noise behind him and turned towards the door, but it was only a trolley being pushed along the corridor outside. He returned his gaze to Jac.

"Where the hell have you been?" Jasmine flinched as she closed the oak front door and heard the dulcet tones of her father drifting across the hallway.

"Work," she said with her eyes fixed upon the tiled floor. She hung up her coat on the rack by the door and began to stride uneasily towards the angry old man in front of her. At first sight her father appeared to be a rather weedy little man with a wispy blond combover and a bulbous red nose; the result of a lifetime abuse of alcohol.

"I told you to be home for seven," he said in his gravelly grating voice. Jasmine glared but did not dare let him see. She could smell the alcohol on his breath.

"I said I might have to work a double," Jasmine tried to explain but her father was having none of it.

"You said no such thing, if I tell you to be back at a certain time, I expect you to be back. Don't you look at me like that!" He said as Jasmine stared at him, her expression blank.

"I did tell you," she muttered but even as the words escaped her mouth, she knew it had been a terrible mistake. In a sudden flash, her father grabbed her by the ear and began twisting it in his fingers as he dragged her towards him. "Stop it, stop it, you're hurting me!" Jasmine yelled but it was to no avail.

"How many times have I told you not to answer me back?" He was shouting and Jasmine was screaming. It was like this every time. "I asked you a question young lady!" He demanded of her. "How." He slapped her across the face. "Many." He slapped her across the other side. "Times." He dug his fingernails into her scalp and then let go, sending her sprawling onto the floor.

"I don't know, I don't know, please!" She was holding her hands up defensively as he moved towards her again.

"Get to bed!" Jasmine nodded, her face was strewn with tears and her eyes were wide, fearful. She didn't say anything. The slightest wrong word would set him off like a firecracker. She picked herself up off the floor and walked past him as calmly as she could muster before climbing the single flight of stairs up to her bedroom.

Jonny pushed open the door to ITU and walked inside for the sixth day. There was still no change in Jac's condition but he wasn't willing to give up on her just yet. He knew she would be all right, he didn't know how he knew, he just knew. He pulled up the chair beside her bed and sat down with a heavy sigh. He gazed at his bandaged hand; it was hurting him slightly.

"They keep telling me it's time to let go," he said at last. "But, I'm not giving up on you. I can't." Jonny held his head in his unbroken hand. "If you can hear me Jac, just give me a sign, just give me a reason to go on." He looked away; seeing her lying like that was still as painful as it had been the first day. "Hollie misses you like crazy. She keeps looking at me as if to ask me where you are and I don't know what to tell her. Help me, Jac, please."

Jonny bit his lip uncertainly. He leant over and took hold of Jac's hand and squeezed it gently.

"Do you remember Christmas?" He asked softly. For a moment he thought he felt Jac's hand squeeze his.

Christmas Day 2013

Jonny leaned over and kissed Jac on the forehead.

"Merry Christmas chunky," he said, grinning. Jac winced but still managed to smile back at him.

"Merry Christmas." She let out a huge groan and tried to shift herself onto her other side in the bed but her heavily pregnant belly was making things increasingly difficult for her. "How much longer of this do I have?" She asked Jonny irritably.

"You're not due until January," Jonny told her. His words were met with an exasperated glare.

"Can't you induce it or something?" Jac asked with a sudden hopeful look. "Otherwise, what's the point of you?" Jonny just laughed. "It's your fault anyway."

"It takes two to make a baby, Jac," Jonny said, still laughing.

"It had to be you didn't it?" Jac sighed.

"And what do you mean by that missy?" Jonny's voice was indignant.

"Never thought I'd end up with a Scottish nurse," Jac winked at him.

"Oh you little-" Jonny laughed again but then stopped suddenly as Jac shot him a surprised look. "What's wrong?" Jac said nothing. "Jac, what's happened?"

"I think my waters have broken," she said finally. Jac threw the sheets off her and sure enough, what she said was true.

"We're getting you to the hospital now," Jonny said with firm insistence.

"I am not having my baby in that place!" Jac folded her arms defiantly.

"You're not having it here," Jonny countered.

"Well then, looks like we have a problem."

Present Day

Jonny stopped reminiscing and smiled for a brief second. He heard footsteps behind him and turned to see Dr. Gallagher walking towards him, staring through her spectacles.

"I thought I'd find you in here," she said with a half-smile.

"She needs me," Jonny replied stoically. "Have you run the tests?" Dr. Gallagher drew herself up to her full height and cleared her throat with a dry hacking cough.

"Yes, I have some good news for you." Jonny's whole demeanour changed in an instance at these words.

"What sort of good news?" He asked, he was hopeful but he knew not to expect too much.

"She's beginning to respond to the tests and there are signs of brain activity restoring," Dr. Gallagher said in her usual matter-of-fact way.

"So I was right to hold on?" Jonny asked. He felt vindicated.

"Yes," she told him.

"When will she wake up?" Jonny sounded a tiny bit more hopeful. Dr. Gallagher gazed at him with a sad expression.

"I'm afraid I can't say. There's hope but that's all. If you'll excuse me," she turned to leave.

"Fiona?" Jonny said suddenly. Dr. Gallagher turned back to him. "Thank you," he told her. She smiled and walked away. Jonny walked back over to Jac and gave her hand another tight squeeze.

"Did you hear that? Dr. Gallagher says there's hope," Jonny sounded tired, worn out and running on empty. "Come on...wake up."

Jasmine paced around her room anxiously. She listened out for any signs of her father moving around downstairs but the house was deathly quiet. Good, she thought. She breathed out heavily and closed her eyes. He hadn't always been like that. Jasmine remembered when she had met him for the first time; he had been warm, kind and loving. Full of the joys of life and eager to get to know his daughter.

Yet over the months all that had changed. First he had lost his job; after twenty-five years of loyal service the company had turned round and in a single day he found himself suddenly redundant. After that, he turned to drink and initially it had been okay. He would drink himself into a stupor but still tried to be as caring as he could towards his daughter. Jasmine knew now that she should have realised the situation would deteriorate.

In the last month things had taken a dramatic turn for the worse when her father received yet more bad news. Jasmine still remembered the tirade he had launched that night.

One month ago

"I was parked there for two flaming seconds!" He had shouted, taking a large swig of vodka from the bottle. "Fixed penalty notice!" He took another swig and swayed unsteadily on his feet. "I'll show them!" Jasmine groaned as she watched her father take yet another huge gulp. He belched loudly and tossed the now empty bottle to the floor where it smashed helplessly. His eyes were streaming and he could barely stand let alone walk but he struggled his way to the fridge nonetheless and brought out a six pack of lager.

"Don't you think you've had enough dad?" Jasmine asked tentatively. Her father rounded on her.

"I'll know when I've had enough young lady!" He closed his eyes and looked for a moment as if he was about to topple over backwards but regained his balance just in time. He cracked open the first can and downed it. He belched again and made to pick up the second can but Jasmine blocked him.

"You've had enough," she said in a stern voice. "You can't drink your problems away." Her father glared at her.

"Get out of my way Jasmine," he slurred.

"No." For a brief second it appeared as if he was going to give up and go to bed but in a blinding flash Jasmine felt a sudden sharp pain in her stomach and the next second she was falling backwards and knew in a heartbeat that he had hit her. She looked up at him, but he was already chugging back the second and then the third can. She watched helplessly as he worked his way through the entire pack and then with a sickening wretch he vomited all over the kitchen floor and passed out. His body hit the floor with a thump. Jasmine began to cry silently.

Christmas Day 2013

"You need to push Jac, come on," the midwife told her as Jac, her teeth clenched and her body shaking tried to push.

"I am pushing!" She shouted emotionally.

"I can see the head, come on now!" Jac made a grab for Jonny's hand began squeezing his fingers so tightly he let out a high-pitched yelp.

"Do you think you could hold on just a little less tight?" Jonny asked but Jac's only response was to cry out in agony and crush his fingers further. The midwife was still egging her on.

"You're nearly there, come on Jac, keep pushing, come on."

"Maconie, if that baby doesn't come out in the next five minutes I am going to sue you!" Jac screeched.

"What for?" Jonny said with another yelp.

"Emotional trauma!" Jac shouted and used all of her remaining energy to push as hard as she could. Silence descended on the room and then the newborn baby began to cry at the top of its lungs. The doctor cut the umbilical cord and handed the child over to the midwife who wrapped it in a blanket and brought it over for Jac and Jonny to see.

"It's a girl," she said, smiling. "You've got a beautiful baby girl." Jac was crying, not tears of sadness but tears of joy. She was absolutely perfect. For the first time in her life, Jac knew she had achieved something truly special.

"I knew you had it in you," Jonny murmured. "She's beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. Look at her wee little hands." The midwife lifted the baby into Jonny's outstretched arms. "I'm your daddy," he told the child. "And see this woman here?" He pointed at Jac. "That's your mummy." Jac looked at them both and grinned broadly.

Present Day

Jonny watched and waited. All he needed was a sign, anything to let him know everything would be all right again. He looked at Jac's unconscious body, his expression was almost pleading.

"Please wake up," he asked again. He asked it every time, hoping beyond hope that one day she would respond. And this time...she did. Jac's eyes flickered and then opened blearily. She stared straight into Jonny's eyes and then blinked again. Jonny couldn't believe it. He looked up to the ceiling and murmured: "Thank you." His heart was pounding. Jac was awake at last.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	7. Chapter 7

PART SEVEN

"She's responding well to treatment," Dr. Gallagher told Jonny as she took quick look at Jac's pupils; they contracted at the light. Jonny yawned and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "You should get some rest." Jonny shook his head firmly.

"I can't," he said after a short pause. "Not until I know she's going to be all right." Dr. Gallagher sighed deeply and attempted to give him a sympathetic smile.

"You know I can't promise that." Jonny turned away from her. "I wish I could, but you and I both know, there are no guarantees." Jonny did not answer her. "I'll leave you two alone." Dr. Gallagher nodded curtly and swept away, her black dress flowing behind her. For a moment Jonny was left in a dimly lit silence as he sat fidgeting with his hands. He didn't know what to say or do. Jonny felt utterly helpless. A soft spluttering noise filled his ears as though someone was clearing a long dry throat.

"Where am I?" Jac asked wheezily. Jonny turned his head immediately. She sounded very weak.

"The same place you were last time," Jonny said, his voice quiet and understated. Jac lifted her head gently and looked around at her surroundings.

"ITU. Great," she said. She seemed uneven.

"I see you're your usual self," Jonny said with a slight smile curling on the edge of his lips. Jac scowled and placed her hand on her head, touching the bandage that was wrapped all around.

"Ugh, how long do I have to wear this for?"

"Till the Doctor decides to remove it," Jonny answered. He looked slightly pained which made Jac change tact.

"Are you okay?"

"What is this, Jac Naylor showing concern?"

"Make the most of it," Jac replied quickly and then coughed. Jonny raised an eyebrow.

"I've been better," he said at last.

"I can tell," Jac said, suppressing another harsh cough. It suddenly struck Jonny how pale she looked. "How long have I been out for?"

"About ten days." Jonny saw Jac mouth something out of the corner of his eye which looked suspiciously like a profanity.

"Hollie," Jac said suddenly as she made an attempt to sit up in her bed.

"Woah woah slow down there," Jonny said indignantly, his Scottish twang becoming even more prominent than usual. "You're supposed to be taking it easy." Jonny didn't seemed to notice that Jac's legs remained fixed and stiff in the same position they had been when she was lying flat. If Jac noticed, she did not say.

"Hollie, where's Hollie?" Jonny could tell by the tone of her voice she wasn't going to rest until he answered her.

"She's fine, she's with Mo."

"You must have a different definition of the word 'fine' to me." She coughed again, her chest heaving painfully.

"Not even a blow to the head can alter your winning personality," Jonny told her but she could see he was trying not to laugh.

"You love me for it," Jac said and shot Jonny an innocent expression.

"I can't think why," he replied.

"Funny."

"That's why you love me."

"I'll just let you keep on thinking that."

"Touché."

"Oh don't go all French on me, you know I can't speak it." They both laughed; Jonny's full of life but Jac's was noticeably frail.

Jasmine stood alone by the side of a small pond. She was scrunching up stale pieces of bread in a bandaged hand and throwing the crumbs into the water for the ducks to fight over. She didn't see Nick striding up to her from behind and placing his arms around her waist.

"Guess who," he said with a slight chuckle. Jasmine jumped and then regained her composure.

"Nick!"

"That's me," he said, evidently pleased with himself.

"What are you doing here?"

"You invited me." Jasmine turned to face him, pushing his arms off her waist as she did so.

"I invited you to lunch, you didn't show." This wiped the broad smile off Nick's face instantly.

"I got held up in theatre," he tried to explain. "I'm sorry, I messed up."

"Why didn't you just send me a text?" Jasmine asked although she did not sound altogether surprised. Nick cleared his throat in a rather awkward fashion before electing to answer.

"I may have err broken my phone," he told her and his eyes shot to the ground. He looked slightly sheepish. "Dropped it in my coffee." Jasmine gave him a look that plainly said, "Idiot."

"Can I take you for afternoon tea?" He suggested as though struck by a sudden brainwave. "To make up for earlier?" Jasmine took his hand and grinned.

"Call it dinner and I'll forgive you," she told him as she stared up into his stubbled face.

"You drive a hard bargain, you know that?"

"It's a good thing I'm worth it." She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek gently. "Six o'clock, don't be late." As she moved away, Nick called out to her.

"We haven't said where we're going yet!" He shouted after her retreating figure. She stopped and took one last look at him.

"You decide," she called back. Nick shook his head, laughing silently to himself.

"Mr. Hanssen we are all very aware of your valued contribution here at Holby but the figures don't lie. You are way over budget, discharge times are down across the hospital and I'm sure I don't have to mention the incident with Jac Naylor a couple of weeks ago." Terence Cunningham looked stern as he spoke directly down the board table. All heads turned to look at Hanssen.

"The incident with Jac Naylor has already been discussed by this Board," Hanssen retorted. "I see no reason in dragging it up again now."

"But you are aware of the negative publicity it generates for the Trust?" Serena commented.

"Yes, thank you Ms. Campbell, I am perfectly aware."

"Then I'm sure you can appreciate the Board's position on this." Hanssen straightened his tie but did not answer her.

"Look the fact of the matter is, we have reached an impasse," Cunningham said, seeing his opportunity to take charge of the debate once again. "We need to make significant cuts if we are to stay remotely within budget for the next fiscal year."

"I will not support the summary dismissal of valued staff members to solve your budgetary crises," Hanssen said with his arms tightly folded across his chest. Serena raised her eyebrow quizzically.

"Three years ago we brought you in here to oversee similar difficult decisions. You had no objections then," Cunningham shot at him.

"That was then, this is now," Hanssen replied matter-of-factly. Cunningham frowned.

"Look Henrik," he said after a brief moment to gather his thoughts. "None of us wants to have to do this, but we know where our priorities must be. Where are yours?"

"My priorities remain, as they always have done, with this hospital and its staff." He got up to leave. "Thank you for your time. Good day," Hanssen said with a curt nod at Cunningham. As Hanssen's fingers closed around the door handle, Cunningham held up a hand for him to stop.

"Mr. Hanssen," he began delicately. "You should be aware that your position here is no longer secure." Hanssen blinked but said nothing. He opened the door and left.

Mo walked onto ITU, cradling Hollie in her arms. Jonny looked up at her and his eyes lit up immediately.

"Hey you," he said taking his daughter from Mo. "Thanks," he muttered.

"Any time," Mo told him but quickly looked away so that he would not see the glistening of water in her eyes. Jonny, however, was already standing over Jac so that she too, could see Hollie.

"I've missed you," Jac said in a breathless undertone as she watched her baby snuffle. "So much." Hollie pointed a stubby finger at her which Jac took and squeezed lightly. "I love you. I'm not going anywhere ever again," Jonny heard Jac telling her. "I promise." There was a dry cough behind them and Jonny turned to see Dr. Gallagher standing there with a grave expression on her face.

"This is nice," Jasmine said as she surveyed her surroundings. The warmly lit pub had low beamed ceilings, pictures of old Prime Ministers strewn across the walls and sign on the bar that read:

Do not attempt to feed the budgie.

Nick laughed and pointed out a table for two in front of them. He pulled Jasmine's chair out for her, waiting patiently as she sat down.

"I'm sorry, it was the best I could do on short notice," he explained.

"It's fine, it's kind of cosy, don't you think?" Jasmine was smiling warmly and appreciatively.

"Yeah," Nick said, relieved. "What do you want to drink?" He asked, pulling out a small card labelled, "Drinks."

"Just a coke for me," Jasmine said immediately.

"Are you sure? You don't want anything stronger?" Jasmine shook her head. "Okay, you're the boss," Nick said and leaned over to kiss her forehead. "I'll go an order at the bar." He walked over to the bar, pausing to take in the ludicrous sign and leaving Jasmine alone with her thoughts.

She knew that at some point in the future she was going to have to open up a lot more to Nick if their relationship had any chance of surviving. He had quizzed her on her bandaged hand but she had brushed it away with a white lie. He didn't need to know that it wasn't coffee that had burnt her hand, it was her father pouring scalding hot water over her hand in a drunken rage as he gripped her wrist and held it firmly on the table. He didn't need to know, not yet anyhow. She watched Nick as he placed the order and sighed.

"I'm afraid I have some rather bad news for the pair of you," Dr. Gallagher told a silent Jac and Jonny as they waited for her to deliver her diagnosis. "Jac, you've been unable to move your legs since you woke up, am I correct?" Jonny glanced at her suddenly as Jac nodded, her eyes wide and fearful. "And if I do this," she stopped speaking and pressed a cold metal ruler to Jac's thigh. "Can you feel anything?" Jac shook her head. "What if I do..." Dr. Gallagher slapped Jac's thigh with the ruler. Jac shook her head again. "Just as I thought," she murmured to herself.

"What's going on?" Jonny asked, his voice croaky. He was holding Jac's hand but he could feel her shaking.

"This may be a lot to take in," Dr. Gallagher said; she sounded stern but sympathetic. The atmosphere in the room was tense and foreboding.

Hanssen sat at his desk and poured himself a small glass of Swedish firewater. He took a swig but did not shudder as the liquid coursed through his body. His eyes fell upon a pile of files that had been dumped on him earlier. He opened the first one and saw Chantelle's face staring up at him. Staff Nurse, he thought. Well, if savings do have to be made. He scanned over her performance record and his heart sunk. He turned to his computer and threw up a new email which he addressed to Terence Cunningham.

Mr. Cunningham,

Suggest Chantelle Lane as possible candidate for redundancy.

Hanssen.

Hanssen waited for a few seconds before hitting send and watched as the little message came up to tell him it had sent. He took another swig of firewater and tossed Chantelle's file into the open tray on his desk.

"Just spit it out," Jonny told her determinedly. "We need to know all the facts, there's no point in dressing it up."

"Jac?" Dr. Gallagher asked, waiting for Jac's say in the matter. Jac nodded her head feebly. "Very well." Jonny squeezed Jac's hand. The waiting was becoming unbearable; he wished Dr. Gallagher would just tell them what she had discovered so they could figure out a way to try to deal with it, whatever it was.

"Please," he muttered as Dr. Gallagher took another moment to quickly glance down her notes.

"It is highly unlikely that you will ever walk again, Jac, I'm very sorry." Jac stared up at Jonny and the one thing that struck him was how very frightened she looked.

TO BE CONTINUED


	8. Chapter 8

PART EIGHT

The rain pounded the roof of the car as Jonny drove through the dark country lanes. He could just make out the pale blue glow of the crescent moon shining in the night; it guided his way and shone his path. He drummed his left hand on the steering wheel.

"Where are we going?" Said a voice from the backseat drowsily. Jonny looked up at his rearview mirror. Jac Naylor was sitting there, strapped into the seat; a blanket was wrapped around her legs.

"I don't know," he answered. He was speaking truthfully; he didn't know where he was going. He didn't know what he was doing. The rain grew heavier until it was almost like hail, cascading against the thin metal roof of the car and slamming into the windows.

"You're the one driving, you must know," Jac said.

"I don't know," Jonny said again. Jac blinked, she was suddenly wide awake.

"Jonny talk to me, what's wrong?" Jonny didn't answer, his face was white. He spun the steering wheel around hard and the car skidded into the turn, the tyres sliding on the sodden tarmac. Jac's mind was racing; she wanted to kick out at his seat but she knew her legs would not move. She paused. It was best not to dwell on that.

"Nothing, let's just drive." He skidded round another sharp corner.

"Jonny tell me what's going on right now!" Jac's voice was shrill, almost fearful.

"Nothing!" He shouted but Jac knew he was lying.

"Stop the car."

"What?"

"I said stop the car right now!"

"What are you talking about?" Jac's expression was murderous, her eyes narrow and livid.

"Stop this car or I swear I will rip your flipping bollocks off!" Jonny slammed on the brakes and the car spun to a shuddering a halt. Jonny wheeled around at her, his face as equally furious as hers.

"I'm doing this for you!"

"Doing what?" Jac roared!

"Saving your life!" A silence descended between the pair of them. The rain had turned to a soft pitter patter now; it seemed as if it would soon pass over. It was Jac who broke the silence first.

"What do you mean?" She asked quietly and carefully. Her face was pale. Jonny took a deep breath.

"Whoever attacked you," Jonny paused, gathering his thoughts. "They'll probably try and get to you again, right?"

"I don't know, maybe," Jac frowned at him.

"I know it's a long shot but I didn't want to take the risk, not when I've only just got you back." Jac put her hand on his shoulder and squeezed it gently.

"Jonny, it was probably just a drunken idiot, nothing more serious than that." Jonny looked at her incredulously.

"They left you in a coma!"

"I know."

"It was not a random attack, Jac. It just doesn't make sense."

Jac said nothing. She could feel herself becoming restless and agitated; it had been like this for days now. Ever since she'd been discharged from the hospital, she had found herself struggling to cope with simple things, such as judging the width of the wheelchair and the doorframe. But it wasn't just that, it was everything. It was the whole amazing unfairness of it all. What had she done to deserve this? Jac couldn't fathom it. It was just mad to think that only a few weeks ago she had been at the top of her game and now she had lost everything. Jac stared into Jonny's eyes. Well, almost everything, she thought. She still had Jonny, and they still had Hollie. It wasn't all bad. Jac sighed.

"Jac?" Jonny's voice cut through her self made silence. "Jac are you all right?" She blinked, feeling a tear drip from between her eyelids. She hadn't even realised she was crying.

"I'm fine. Everything's fine," Jac's voice was hollow and she knew Jonny wouldn't believe her. But that didn't matter, she didn't want him to believe her.

"You'll tell me when you're ready," Jonny muttered quietly. Jac looked away from him.

"Maybe," she whispered. "Jonny?"

"Yeah?" Jonny tapped his fingers against the dashboard.

"Take me home, please." Jonny stopped tapping and made a grab for the wheel.

"You might be in danger."

"I don't care," Jac's voice was determined. Her intentions clear and precise. "I need to be where I belong, not skulking in the dark. If he comes back, I want to face him. I want him to see what he did to me, what he did to us." Jac stared at Jonny fiercely.

"You won't be on your own," Jonny assured her.

"I know. I want him to see that." Jonny stared out the window. The skies had cleared and a trillion stars twinkled brightly. A sudden thought struck him.

"Come outside," he said slowly. Jac stared at him, her eyebrows arched.

"Why?"

"Just come outside." Jonny was already pushing open his door before Jac could answer. He stepped out on to the wet tarmac and opened Jac's door.

"In case you've forgotten, I can't move." Jonny smirked at her and then turned away. He took hold of her nearest hand and then looked up at the night sky. "Jonny what are-"

"Shush," Jonny whispered. "Just look." Jonny lifted Jac's hand and pointed it into the sky. Jac looked up and gazed in wonderment at the collection of shining stars.

"I still don't see what the point of this is," she muttered."

"Our lives are so busy, we don't often get the chance to just take a moment and let it all sink in." Jac's stare fell back down to Jonny.

"You idiot," she told him.

"What have I done now?" Jonny replied, his voice indignant. Jac laughed. It was the first time she had laughed for a long time. Her face lit up and her eyes twinkled brighter than the brightest star. "You're smiling," Jonny whispered.

"I know," Jac didn't know why she was smiling. She just suddenly felt as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. They were both staring at each other. "I love you," Jac said quietly.

"I love you too." He squeezed her hand gently.

"Now take me home. " Jonny nodded.

Jac's heart was thumping in her chest. She knew Jonny loved her but he hardly ever said it. He wasn't that type of guy. Jac couldn't stop smiling, her mind was racing; she could still hear Jonny's words ringing around inside her head. The engine spluttered to life and as Jonny started to drive, Jac felt her eyelids drooping and within seconds she was drifting off to sleep. The car sped off into the night in the direction of their home.

TO BE CONTINUED


	9. Chapter 9

PART NINE

Hanssen stared wistfully out of his office window, watching the hustle and bustle of life below. A tiny sparrow fluttered past the glass carried on its wings by tiny gusts of wind. He sighed as the sparrow faded away into the distance. A first look at Hanssen's face would show that he was unbelievably stressed; his brow furrowed and bags under his eyes revealed a man who had evidently not slept in days. He removed his spectacles and rubbed his eyes gingerly. It took him a few moments to notice his phone flashing at him from where it lay on his desk.

Hanssen strode over to his phone and picked it up with his right hand. He stared at the screen. 1 new message. With a heavy sigh, Hanssen opened up the message and began to read. His face contorted irritably as he reached the end; before he could think of a reply, however, there was a sharp knock at the door. Hanssen turned to see Terence Cunningham marching towards him, his face a picture of stress.

"Mr. Hanssen," Cunningham announced as he pulled up a chair in front of the desk.

"Mr. Cunningham," Hanssen replied curtly. "To what do I owe this very early pleasure?" Cunningham cleared his throat before continuing.

"Chantelle Lane?" Cunningham spoke delicately, gazing directly at Hanssen for any signs of weakness.

"Yes?" Hanssen's expression was stoic and he gave little away in his answer. Cunningham cleared his throat again and spoke hoarsely.

"Have you informed her of your decision?" Hanssen paused for a moment, watching Cunningham as he took out a lilac coloured handkerchief and coughed splutteringly into it.

"Not yet," Hanssen told him. Cunningham frowned, his eyes narrowed.

"Don't you think you ought to?" Hanssen stood up from his desk and walked back over to the window. The sparrow had landed on the windowsill and stared up at Hanssen with its tiny bird eyes.

"I've changed my mind," Hanssen said at last. Cunningham's ears shone scarlet.

"I beg your pardon?" Cunningham spoke slowly and carefully, emphasising every syllable. "We...no, you agreed this was the best way to move forward." Hanssen did not look back at Cunningham as he considered his response, preferring instead to continue his gaze out of the window.

"I changed my position. No one will be losing their jobs, not this time."

"Mr. Hanssen I don't think you quite realise the situation the trust is in; cuts have to be made and staffing is the best option we have."

"I understand the situation perfectly well thank you, and I disagree with the trust on this occasion." Hanssen spoke in a sharp whisper. Cunningham drew himself up to his full height and glared at him; his face purple.

"You are blind. Your integrity is compromised and you are jeopardising not only your position but the position of this entire hospital. I'm warning you, the Trust will not stand for this insubordination. You're treading on very thin ice, Mr. Hanssen. Very thin ice." Cunningham scowled and then turned to leave.

"I would ask that the Trust had a little more faith in my ability to handle the situation," Hanssen spoke quietly but there was the tiniest hint of anger hidden in his undertones. Cunningham stopped, his fingers wrapped around the door handle and turned back to face Hanssen.

"When you can show yourself to be the leader this hospital so desperately needs, the Trust will have faith. Until then, consider yourself on probation." Cunningham wrenched open the door and walked through, slamming it behind him. Hanssen stared after him; his face a ghoulish white.

"Hey look it's mummy," Jonny whispered to Hollie gently as Jac wheeled herself out into the back garden. She smiled broadly at them but a sudden pain in her chest made her clutch at her sides. "Are you okay?" Jonny asked, his voice full of concern.

"I'm fine, don't fuss!" Jac snapped at him. She exhaled slowly and looked up at him. "I'm sorry," she said sadly. Jonny took hold of her right hand and squeezed it.

"It's okay," he told her. "But you will tell me if there's anything wrong?" Jac nodded. Hollie made a sniffing noise from her pram. "She wants you to hold her," Jonny told Jac. He watched Jac carefully, waiting for her response.

"Bring her here then," Jac said at last. Jonny grinned with delight and picked up Hollie, handing her over to Jac slowly. Cradling the baby in her arms, Jac looked up at Jonny, her face beaming brightly. It was the first time she had held her baby in weeks.

"Did you make the appointment?" Jonny asked her in a low whisper. Jac, who was stroking Hollie's hair softly, shot Jonny a nonplussed expression. "The physiotherapy?"

"Oh yes," Jac replied as realisation dawned. "She's coming round this afternoon." Jonny could tell Jac was putting on a brave face for him and he was grateful for it. "Can you take Hollie to the park when she comes?" Jac asked. Jonny nodded. "I don't want her to see her mum in pain."

"Nor do I," Jonny muttered. "Do you want me to take her in for her check up tomorrow?"

"What checkup?" Jac asked, her eyes widening in surprise.

"The one she has every month," Jonny told her, frowning slightly. "To check everything's still okay." Jac rubbed her eyes with her left hand, keeping hold of Hollie in her right.

"Oh...I forgot," she bit her lip as it trembled.

"Hey, it's okay," Jonny said soothingly. "We all forget things." Jac screwed up her eyes as she tried to force herself not to cry.

"This is important, I shouldn't forget that," Jac said in a determined voice. She sighed deeply. "I'm not cut out for this Jonny."

"You're a brilliant mum," Jonny told her sharply.

"I don't know what I'm doing and how can I help her when I'm stuck in this wretched thing?" She indicated the wheelchair with her eyes.

"You've been...no, you are brilliant," Jonny was looking directly at her as he spoke. "No, don't argue with me. Our little girl would not be here today if it wasn't for your tremendous strength and courage."

"She needs more than just strength," Jac protested.

"She needs you."

Jac looked uncertain; her bottom lip was still trembling. Jonny kneeled in front of her.

"Look at you, you're both so beautiful," he murmured. "She's got your eyes." Jac looked down at Hollie and her heart melted all over again as Hollie looked up at her through her big green eyes.

"She's got your smile," Jac said quietly.

"See, she needs both of us," Jonny told her. Jac nodded.

"You do realise you look utterly ridiculous kneeling down there?" Jonny laughed. "Unless you're planning to propose? Oh god you are, aren't you?" Jonny said nothing as he clambered back up to his feet. "I can read you like a book Maconie." Jonny remained silent, laughing to himself. Jac couldn't help herself, she laughed too, rocking Hollie gently. Their daughter closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep in her mother's arms. Jac felt her little chest rising up and down. Her heart fluttered.

"Hey where have you been?" Nick said as Jasmine walked onto Darwin, her face partially covered by a bandage under her left eye. Nick stared in a shock. "What happened to you?"

"It's nothing," Jasmine said quickly, but she couldn't stop herself feeling the bandage with her hand.

"It doesn't look like nothing," Nick said with concern.

"It is," Jasmine sounded firm but Nick didn't believe her.

"Did someone do this to you?"

"No!"

"Are you sure?"

"Will you just leave me alone?!" Nick looked taken aback but he backed away slowly. Jasmine scowled at him and marched away down the ward.

"Enter," Cunningham's sharp voice issued from inside his office. The door pushed open quietly, revealing Chantelle Lane standing nervously in the frame. "Come in," Cunningham indicated to his desk with a flick of his wrist. Chantelle stepped inside the office and walked up to the desk. "Sit." Cunningham pointed at the chair beside her. Chantelle sat down; her heart was pounding in her chest.

"You wanted to see me?" She said at last. This was most unusual, Chantelle thought. No one she knew had ever been summoned to Mr. Cunningham's office. Her heart skipped a couple of beats. There was certainly going to be nothing good about this meeting.

"I did. I'm afraid I have some rather bad news for you," Cunningham was doing his best to appear vaguely friendly but it was coming off as little more than menacing. Chantelle's heart pounded even faster.

"What is it? Is it something I've done? I'm sorry, I can work harder, I'll work double shifts, I'll do everything you ask of me and more..." Cunningham held up his hand and Chantelle fell silent.

"It's nothing you've done and believe me, if there was any other way, we wouldn't be doing this."

"Doing what?" Chantelle's voice cracked as she spoke.

"We're letting you go," Cunningham explained. "I'm sorry," he told her but he did not seem very sorry.

"You're what?" Chantelle's eyes were glistening. "I have done everything, I've worked my socks off for this job and you're just going to sack me just like that?"

"There really is no other alternative. We simply cannot afford to keep you on."

"But I-"

"I'm sorry that will be all," Cunningham cut across her. He pointed to the door. Chantelle looked crestfallen as she walked away from Cunningham.

"You must be Jac Naylor," the physiotherapist said, looking down at her phone as Jac pulled open the front door. "Hi, I'm Sue," Sue extended her hand for Jac to shake. She was a short woman with greying hair that had once been auburn. "May I come in?" Jac nodded and turned her chair around. She led Sue into the living room; the sofas and chairs had been moved to one side so as to allow space for the afternoon's session.

"What do you want me to do?" Jac asked as Sue placed her coat and bag over the sofa.

"I thought we'd start off with some manual therapy," Sue announced, taking out a selection of massage oils from her bag. Jac took off her shirt carefully and felt a shiver as Sue began to apply the oils to her back. "You may feel a slight tension to begin with," Sue explained before she started the massage. Jac winced.

"Did you see that?" Jonny was sitting on a park bench, holding Hollie in his arms. He pointed at the sky where a plane had just soared overhead. "That's a plane, maybe we'll take you on one, one day." Hollie blinked. Jonny cradled her gently, rocking her from side to side.

"Excuse me, I think you dropped this?" Jonny looked around to see who had spoken. A man with bloodshot eyes was holding a small stuffed giraffe in his left hand. Jonny recognised it as one of Hollie's and took it from the man. Hollie held out her hands for the giraffe, making tiny squeaking noises. Jonny handed it to Hollie who clasped it tightly in her small hands.

"Thank you." He turned away; the stench of alcohol on the man's breath was apparent and he didn't want Hollie to be exposed to it.

"No problem," the man slurred and walked away, swaying unsteadily on his feet. Jonny caught sight of an opened beer can in his coat pocket. He frowned.

"Come on you, we best get going otherwise mummy will be wondering where we are. Yes, she will." He placed Hollie, who was still holding on to her stuffed giraffe, back into her pram and strapped her up. The sun was still shining brightly in the sky as they left the park.

"How dare you!" Hanssen very rarely raised his voice and on the infrequent occasions he did so, the whole room was known to shake. "You knew perfectly well I had changed my position on the matter." Terence Cunningham was completely unfazed by Hanssen's anger.

"Yes, and I took matters into my own hands," Cunningham said unapologetically. "Something you weren't prepared to do." Hanssen was breathing in and out heavily.

"Instead you chose to go behind my back and fire one of our best staff nurses." Cunningham could feel the anger rising in his chest now.

"Now wait just one moment, you were the one who suggested severing her in the first place!" He squared himself up to Hanssen but the effect was comical as the Swede towered over him.

"It's interesting to know that I do not have the Trust's backing on this," Hanssen declared in a cold, sharp whisper.

"The Trust are on my side Mr. Hanssen. There is nothing you can do to sway them and I would suggest that you do not try." Cunningham's ears were redder than they had ever been before.

"Is that a threat, Mr. Cunningham?" Hanssen's eyes were dangerously narrowed as he glared at Cunningham.

"Yes, I do believe it is."

"I will be offering Nurse Lane her position back, with full compensation of course." There was a stunned silence between the pair.

"You will do nothing of the sort."

"She was unfairly dismissed, I would like to rectify that unhappy mistake, to the best of my ability." Cunningham swallowed, clearly determined to get the upper hand in the argument.

"If you go against the Trust again, your position here will be terminated with immediate effect." Hanssen did not reply at first, his hands were white and shaking. He glanced out of the window and saw the same sparrow from that morning, fluttering its tiny wings on the windowsill and staring up at him. He closed his eyes, thinking desperately. He had to do the right thing for himself and most of all for the hospital and his colleagues. "Mr. Hanssen?" Cunningham's voice cut through his prolonged reflection. Hanssen remained silent; he was still considering his position. He watched as the sparrow flapped its wings with a greater strength and then took off from the windowsill, flying in a brand new direction. The solution hit Hanssen at last. It had been staring him in the face for weeks now, even months. This was the only way; the only way he could make a difference. He exhaled deeply.

"I would like to tender my resignation." Cunningham's eyes widened in shock and his face fell.

"You're not serious?" He mouthed.

"I have never been more serious and in any case, the Trust will not be sorry to see me go," Hanssen told him. Cunningham didn't answer and he looked thoroughly awkward. "Nurse Lane will be reinstated forthwith and I will serve out my entire notice period. Four weeks, I believe it is?" Cunningham nodded; he was still stunned by Hanssen's sudden decision.

"You don't have to resign," he said at last. Hanssen stared at him sadly.

"I'm afraid I do. I need a new direction."

TO BE CONTINUED


	10. Chapter 10

PART TEN

Jac looked all around for the can of chopped tomatoes she needed. The supermarket aisle was completely deserted save for Jac and her chair. She let out a deep, resigned sigh as she spotted the collection of cans placed on a shelf just out of her reach. Since being in the chair there had been so many things Jac could no longer do for herself and she hated it. She really hated it. She had always been strong and independent, able to rely only on herself and she was determined not to let this change. The chair would not beat her. Jac cracked her knuckles and, placing her basket on the floor, made another reach for the cans. She cursed under her breath as her fingers came nowhere close to the cans once again.

"This is ridiculous," Jac muttered. She forced the chair to turn sideways and was shocked to see a pair of polished black loafers looking back at her. The loafers belonged to a pair of suited legs which in turn belonged to a young man, no more than twenty-five years of age, with slick black hair, pale skin and a protrusion of stubble all over his chin which gave him a slightly unkempt look that seemed out of place with his neat appearance.

"Need a hand?" The stranger asked. His voice had a subtle gravelly nature to it. Jac eyed him suspiciously. She had no reason to trust this man especially since the attack but on the other hand, Jac reasoned, there was really no reason not to either. Her eyes glanced up at the cans that lay just out of reach. The cans looked back. It was as if they were somehow mocking her. Jac's stomach deflated.

"Yes," she nodded. The fire inside Jac gave a little whimper. The stranger smiled, showing no teeth.

"All right then, what do you need?" Jac pointed up at the cans.

"One of those," she murmured. The stranger reached up and grabbed the can, handing it to Jac who placed it in the basket on her knees. "Thank you." The stranger was silent as he walked away. Jac watched him for a moment. In some ways he reminded her of Jonny but only very little. It was the kindness, Jac thought. Simple human kindness and it still surprised her.

"Well, what do you think?" Jonny asked as Mo stared open mouthed at the diamond ring sitting in the open box.

"Are you serious Maconie?"

"Yes, Mo, I'm completely serious!" Jonny laughed as Mo picked up the ring and twirled it between her thumb and forefinger.

"This must have cost a fortune!" Mo exclaimed as she examined the diamond. Jonny bit his lip uncomfortably; even though it was Mo, he didn't feel it was right to divulge the ring's price. Mo noticed the look on his face and changed tact immediately. "This is...this is beautiful."

"Do you reckon she'll like it?"

"Why wouldn't she?" They both caught the look in each other's eye and burst out laughing.

"She's not very good on the whole marriage thing," said Jonny. The laughter gone from his face, he appeared apprehensive. Mo held his arm firmly and stared straight into his eyes.

"Listen to me Maconie, Jac will love it. It's perfect."

"You really think so?" Jonny gazed at the ring. "You don't think it's too...I don't know, clichéd?" Mo snorted.

"Trust me, this is one time where Jac will love clichéd." Jonny bit his lip again. He had never ever been in this position before. Sure, he'd had girlfriends before Jac, lots of girlfriends, but they had never lasted. Not like this. Before he'd met Jac, all his previous relationships had ended on the rocks with clouds hovering over his honesty.

There had been one time, Jonny reflected, just one time he had come close to proposing to another girl. Her name was Emily and she had been the first girl Jonny had ever told he loved. It had all been a lot of fun and happiness for a while; they had even lived together for a time. But like so many things in his life, it had all turned sour. His lying caught up with him and he remembered standing teary eyed in the rain as Emily launched a cascade of expletives at him. This was promptly followed by a box of his stuff tossed unceremoniously at his feet.

"You're sorry?" Emily yelled. "I'll give you sorry," she picked up a mug from the box and smashed it on the floor. Jonny watched from afar as his younger self bent down to clear up the shards of broken china. Emily swiped her long blonde fringe out of her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Emily, listen to me. I never meant to hurt you, I never meant for-"

"For me to find out?" Emily cut across him. "Oh, I'm sure you didn't." Jonny gazed at her sadly. There was a lump in his throat.

"You don't understand," Jonny began again but he fell silent at the look of contempt on Emily's face.

"I understand plenty more than you think Jonny," Emily's cheeks were bright red now as she spoke.

"It was a stupid mistake, I never meant to place you in any danger!" Emily opened her mouth to retort but stopped suddenly. "It's just...I...I let you down." For the first time, Emily noticed the pained expression etched in his eyes and the way his lips quivered as he spoke. Then she spoke again but it was not unkindly.

"Yes, you did." Her voice was hollow and yet somehow contemplative. "Goodbye Jonny." Emily turned away from him; she didn't want him to see the tears now forming in her eyes. Jonny waited for her to close the door before he walked away.

"Goodbye," Jonny whispered as he picked up the box of his belongings and turned away from the apartment for the last time.

"Maconie?" Mo clicked her fingers at his eyes. "Anyone at home?" Jonny blinked groggily.

"Yeah, sorry. I was just thinking."

"About what?" Jonny opened his mouth to explain and then changed his mind. He smiled at her.

"Nothing, it's nothing. Just memories." He collected the ring box up off the table and dropped it into his jacket pocket. Mo beamed at him.

"Go get her Maconie," she said. Jonny didn't reply, he didn't need to. He knew exactly what he had to do.

Jac heaved the heavy shopping bags on to her chair, hanging them off the back handles and wheeled herself out of the supermarket. The first thing she noticed was the stranger from earlier. He looked even paler than he had before as he lent awkwardly against his car, a dark blue Ford Mondeo from 1998. Jac could tell something was off as he smiled faintly at her; his expression was pained and the colour was steadily draining out his cheeks.

"Are you okay?" Jac asked, wheeling the chair closer to the man. He nodded but he couldn't hide the grimace he made.

"I'm fine, thank you. Just a little bit of chest pain." He winced again and clutched at his heart.

"You know you should really get that checked out," Jac told him.

"I've got an appointment with my GP tomorrow," he explained.

"GP? What do they?" Jac began but caught herself. "That's good," she finished.

"You have a nice day, won't you?" The stranger wished her. He reached into his pocket and began to fumble with his keys. Jac had a nagging worry at the pit of her stomach as she started to manoeuvre the chair away from him. He'll be fine, she told herself. People get chest pain all the time, it's not always a sign of-There was a sudden loud thud behind her. Jac desperately turned her chair back around in a blind panic.

The stranger was lying spreadeagled on the ground, his eyes wide and staring. He wasn't breathing.

"I need some help over here!" Jac shouted but no one was coming. They were all alone. "I can't do this," Jac muttered as she bent down over his body. She gazed at her legs, willing the feeling to return to them. "Come on please!" They remained motionless while all the time the man lay on the ground, his life seeping away from him. Jac looked urgently all around for someone, anyone to help. "Christ," she muttered. She concentrated all her efforts on getting her legs to move. All that physiotherapy, there had to be a point to it! "Come on!" Jac shouted. "Just give me this one thing, please!" And then a miracle happened. Her toes twitched. She could feel the blood rushing through her legs; it was like an intense moment of pins and needles but Jac didn't care. She used all of her strength to heave herself out of the chair and get into a position where she could help the man who had helped her before.

Jac listened for any signs of breathing and began chest compressions. It took three courses before he returned to them. He breathed deeply, looking up at Jac.

"What happened?" He asked, sounding scared.

"You collapsed," Jac told him as she lifted herself back into her chair. It was difficult; her legs had suddenly given way under her weight and the feeling was gone again. Right now, however, that didn't matter. "I'll call you an ambulance," she said. The stranger nodded. Jac pulled out her phone and dialled the number. "It's on its way," she said.

"Thank you," the stranger wheezed.

"Do you want me to stay with you?" Jac asked. He shook his head as he spotted the baby food sticking out of one of Jac's shopping bags.

"You get back to your family, I'm sure they need you more than I do," he said weakly. Jac smiled and as she pushed the chair away from him, a sudden realisation struck her. She didn't even know his name.

It was late evening when Jac finally made it home via two bus routes and a long chair-walk up the hill to the cottage. The smell of home-cooking filled her nostrils as she turned the key in the lock and pushed the door open. Jonny's low pitched singing drifted down the hallway from the direction of the kitchen and it was this voice that Jac now followed.

"When did you get back?" Jonny asked mid-song as he saw Jac enter the kitchen. He gathered up the onion he had just sliced and poured the pieces into the frying pan which sizzled appreciatively on the hob.

"Just now," Jac told him.

"I didn't hear you," Jonny replied.

"Must have been the singing. You could kill with that, you know?" Jonny laughed.

"Hollie's asleep, I gave her dinner earlier." Jac nodded. "Ours is nearly ready," Jonny indicated the pot of beef stew in the oven.

"I love you," Jac said softly.

"I love you too," Jonny said, taking the frying pan off the hob and placing it to one side as he bent down to open the oven. With bright blue oven gloves on either hand, he picked up the stew placed it across the cold hobs. Jac watched as he took the lid off the stew and poured the onions from the frying pan into it, using a wooden spoon to stir the contents accordingly. "Shall we eat?" Jonny said, tasting his stew. Jac grinned.

"Well, at least one of us can cook decent meals," Jac said as she swallowed the last mouthful on her plate.

"Hey, yours aren't bad," Jonny sniggered.

"I was talking about mine," Jac retorted sarcastically. They both laughed. It felt good to laugh, especially after all that had happened. Jonny slipped his hand into his pocket and twiddled his fingers around the box. When was the right time to do this? Was there ever a right time? "What are you doing?" Jac's voice cut through his thoughts and brought him crashing back down to Earth.

"I really do love you, you do know that right?" Jonny said suddenly. Jac looked at him quizzically.

"Yes, what's this about?" Jonny took a deep breath.

"Having you and our little Hollie...it's, it's the best thing that has ever happened to me and I..." He paused, finding the words difficult to say. "What I'm trying to say is, I finally feel like I've made something of my life and I don't want to lose you." Jac watched him curiously as she took a sip of white wine. Jonny got to his feet, his hand still in his pocket.

"What are you doing?" Jac asked, her right eyebrow raised as she watched him walk towards her. "Tell me you're not doing what I think you're about t-"

"Shut up," Jonny told her in a soft murmur under his breath. "You don't have to say anything, yet." Jac eyed him suspiciously. Well here goes, Jonny thought. The moment of truth. He got down on one knee and took out the box from his pocket. "Jac Naylor, would you do me the honour of marrying me?" He opened the box and the diamond ring sparkled from within. Jac stared in amazement, first at the ring and then at Jonny. Her heart was pounding so fast in her chest, she thought it might literally explode out at any moment. Jonny was still on his knee, waiting for her answer. Jac swallowed.

The word was so simple, just the one syllable. It never usually required this much thought, after all it was just one single word. It was like telling someone you loved them, it was just an answer. An answer to a simple question. Yet this was the hardest question to answer of them all but Jac knew there was only one answer she could give. Only one answer she could ever give. She looked deep into Jonny's wide, fearful eyes and squeezed his free hand.

"Yes."

END OF ACT ONE

TO BE CONTINUED


	11. Chapter 11

Scenes of a violent nature that some readers may find disturbing...

ACT TWO

PART ELEVEN

Hanssen stared at the picture of Fredrik on his desk. His expression was one of deep forlorn and regret. Yet there was no time for that right now as Hanssen's eyes fell upon his watch. It was getting very late. He yawned; it wasn't a heavy exaggerated yawn, just a yawn big enough to convey how tired he was. He'd been tired for over three years now, ever since he'd taken on the job at Holby City. If he had known then, what he knew now, he would never have accepted it; yet at the same time he didn't regret taking it. The three years had managed to be both the best and worst times of his life and he knew beyond all doubt that when the time came for him to take his leave; he would be leaving with memories he would treasure to his grave.

He cleared his throat and waited. There was no sound, no rasping knock. Just silence punctured only by Hanssen's melancholic breathing. His phone began to chirp and as he stared at the name flashing up on the screen, he placed it back down on his desk and turned away. The chirping died away surrounding Hanssen once more in eerie silence. His eyes fell on Fredrik's photo and for the tiniest of instances they flashed with an unkempt rage. He reached down and picked up the pristine picture holding it tightly in his hand until his fingers began to crumple. He stopped suddenly, letting go of the photo and watching as it fell in a crumpled heap on his desk.

"Maja," he murmured. "Maja, Maja, Maja." With a deft flick of his wrist Hanssen knocked the crumpled photo off his desk and into the wastepaper basket by his feet. For a second it looked as if he about to retrieve it; he turned away and ignored it. The noise his phone made at that precise moment came so suddenly that even the usually prepared Hanssen was taken aback. It chirped with such vigorous determination that Hanssen felt he could not safely ignore it.

"Hanssen," he answered with a brisk command to his voice. There was a pause whilst the man on the other end took a moment to blow his nose. Hanssen frowned, his eyebrows arching comically as he waited for the caller to regain his composure.

"Cunningham," Cunningham announced once he had finished sniffing unpleasantly. "Sorry about that, I seem to be coming down with something. Must be a bug going round." Hanssen made a noise that sounded like a cross between a tut and a hmm. His tongue curled around his teeth absentmindedly. "Anyway you're probably wondering why I'm calling you," Cunningham paused, deliberately leaving a gap in his speech for Hanssen to fill.

"The thought hadn't occurred to me," Hanssen retorted. Whilst in the past he would have made room for Cunningham's idiocy; he had no time for the odious little man now. He could tell Cunningham was pulling a disparaging expression on the other end by the way in which he coughed very succinctly.

"Anyway," Cunningham emphasised the third syllable; "I'm aware that your time here comes to an end tomorrow and I-"

"Yes?" Hanssen interjected.

"I just wanted to say how very sorry we all are to see you leave and we wish you every bit of luck in your next venture," Cunningham finished spouting the party line and fell silent.

"Thank you," Hanssen replied curtly. "Will that be all?"

"I have nothing further to add." There was a sharp click and Cunningham hung up. Hanssen's eyes flashed furiously again and he slammed the phone down on the desk so hard that a hairline crack appeared in the otherwise unblemished screen. He glanced down at the photo, its curled edges sticking out of the wastepaper basket. He blinked, clearing his eyes of water.

Jasmine lay face down on her bed; the light was off and she scrolled silently through the contacts on her phone. She stopped on M and stared at "Mum." Her fingers edged slowly towards the call button but at the last second they fell away. She looked at the time; it was getting late. There was no guarantee that she would answer anyway, thought Jasmine with a heavy sigh. She sat up, wincing, and cocked her head, listening out for any indication of her father's imminent return from the pub. Jasmine closed her eyes and pressed call. She listened as the phone rang but there was no answer. Jasmine didn't hang up, however. A sudden beep.

"You've reached Paula Burrows, if you would like to leave your name and phone number, I will get back to you as soon as I can..." Jasmine froze. What could she say? She hadn't spoken to her mother in over a year.

"Hi," Jasmine began weakly. "Hi, sorry, I mean um...it's Jasmine. Your daughter," she added as though it needed clarifying. "I need your help. Please mum." She hung up just as the front door below her opened with a terrifying bang.

"Jasmine!" Her father's dulcet tones drifted up to her room; his speech was slurred worse than ever. Jasmine listened carefully; there was more than one voice carrying from the hallway. "Jasmine answer me when I'm talking to yer!"

"Yes?" Jasmine called down uncertainly. She heard the sound of smashing china followed by a high pitched cackling laugh that Jasmine did not recognise.

"Oh yer are in then! I've got a couple o' me mates round." Jasmine groaned. This was the last thing she needed. "Yer can come down and join us." The colour in Jasmine's cheeks drained. "I said yer can come down!" Her father yelled and she knew there was no way out of it. She would have to endure his pleasant company.

"What did she say?" Mo nudged Jonny eagerly as they both sat in the staffroom, savouring the hard-earned mugs of coffee in front of them. The nightshift was a killer, especially for Jonny who longed to be with his family. He smiled up at Mo, watching the look of anticipation building in her eyes.

"I'll tell you later," he said tantalisingly. He wanted desperately to tell Mo the big news but it was just as much fun to tease her.

"Don't you do that to me Maconie!"

"Do what?" Jonny grinned and took a sip of coffee.

"Tease me! I know what you're up to!" Jonny bit his lip; he was trying not to laugh.

"I don't know what you're talking about Mo. I would never dream of teasing you."

"Oh come on Maconie, you've gotta tell me!" Jonny thought about this for a moment. It was fun to see the look of monumental desperation in Mo's eyes but at the same time he was desperate to spread the news. He took another sip of coffee and made his decision.

"Very well, I suppose you've waited long enough..." Mo was hanging on to his every word.

"Come on Maconie, don't drag this out, my break's almost over!" Jonny took a deep breath.

"She said yes." There was a moment of silence between the pair of them and then without warning, Mo grabbed Jonny and pulled him into a bear hug.

"Congratulations! I'm really pleased for both of you!" Jonny was laughing so hard he could feel the build up of tears in his eyes.

Jasmine flinched as a beer can went soaring past her head and landed unceremoniously beside the overflowing bin. Her ears were pounding from the unrelenting sound of club tunes that played at full volume throughout the house mingled with the drunken cries of her father and his friends.

"Si! Si!" Jasmine heard the woman with the high-pitched laugh calling for her father. There was no reply. "Si! Where are you man?" The woman staggered into the kitchen and went over to Jasmine. "You seen Si anywhere?"

"No," Jasmine said, flinching away from her.

"Why you scared? I ain't gonna hurt you." Jasmine didn't know what to say. This woman was a friend of her father's and as far as she was concerned that meant she was hardly someone she could trust. She certainly wasn't going to either.

"I'm just jumpy. It's nothing."

"Oh right, well if you see Si, tell him Ellen's looking for him?" Jasmine nodded. "Ta!" Ellen wandered away leaving Jasmine alone with her thoughts. She couldn't stay here much longer. She had to get out. Jasmine began to walk slowly towards the front door; her heart was thumping so hard in her chest. If her father caught her trying to leave she would be for it. Her pocket vibrated suddenly causing Jasmine to jump almost a foot up in the air. She took out her phone and with shaking hands, she answered it.

"Jasmine? It's mum." Jasmine breathed again.

"Hi," she whispered audibly.

"What's happened? You sounded scared," Paula seemed concerned but there was never any guarantee of it being genuine.

"I can't talk here, he might hear me," Jasmine said, looking over her shoulder to make sure her dad was nowhere within earshot.

"Jas what's going on? Is it your dad?" Jasmine clammed up. How much did she know? "Jas listen, I haven't got long. Has something happened with your dad?"

"Yes," Jasmine said, her heart sinking like a stone. She didn't hear the sound of footsteps marching unevenly towards her. She couldn't smell the stench of stale alcohol on his breath. Not until it was too late.

"What's he done-" Paula began but a slurred voice suddenly interrupted.

"Who yer talking to Jasmine?" Before Jasmine could answer, her father grabbed the phone out of her hands and stared at the caller. "What yer been telling her eh Paula?" His ears were glowing scarlet; Jasmine didn't think she had ever seen him look this angry.

"It's a private conversation Simon," Paula's voice sounded determined but she was no match for him.

"It don't look very private Paula," Simon slurred.

"You're drunk," Paula said disgustedly. "What sort of example is that to set your daughter?" Simon laughed heartily and Jasmine caught a whiff of his breath. She backed away quietly.

"You're in flaming India darling. Yer ain't even here or looking after her. So don't yer dare tell me what example I am or aren't setting. Okay?" His fists were clenched as he spoke; Jasmine viewed them with a wary look.

"You're a mess Simon. Sort yourself out."

"How about yer stay the hell out of my life? Yer not wanted here so butt out." His chest was heaving.

"Simon-" Paula began but Simon hung up. He tossed the phone to the floor and stamped on it until it was destroyed. Jasmine stood in a dejected silence. There was nothing she could do. Her father rounded on her next.

"Yer little fucking slut!"

"Dad!" Jasmine spoke out before she could stop herself. The next second he was on top of her, his fists raining down on her stomach.

Jac thumbed through a magazine; a quick look at the cover revealed that it was the latest issue of Holby Weddings Weekly! She gazed at the photos of all the different wedding dresses supposedly in fashion this year. From traditional white to ivory, none of them seemed to make much of an impression on Jac. She sighed as she turned the page and her eyes fell upon a brief paragraph describing the wedding dress hell of Doris from Southwest Holby. As she reached the end of the piece, Jac gave a look that clearly said what she thought of Doris. She turned the page but was greeted by an A4 picture of Doris squeezing herself into a dress that was five times too small.

"No wonder you couldn't find the right one. Look at the size of you," Jac muttered unkindly. Her lips curled into a sly smile; she knew Jonny would have ticked her off if he'd heard her. She had to admit her figure wasn't quite the same as it had been before she'd had Hollie; being stuck in this infernal chair wasn't helping either. Jac glanced down at her slightly chubby stomach and frowned. She would have to do something about this but Jonny did insist on cooking pasta all the time. At least she could be certain she would never reach the size of a bus or...well, Doris. She turned over to the next page and smiled. There was certainly a lot to prepare she thought as she tossed the magazine aside and reached down for the next one.

Every inch of Jasmine's body ached. She was trembling and her teeth chattered loudly. On the plus side, Jasmine thought, her father had at least left her alone for now. She hoped this would be the only beating tonight but she dared not risk it once his friends were gone. The front door opened. Jasmine forced herself to stop trembling so she could hear what was going on. It sounded like the exchange of goodbyes and her heart dropped like a stone through a wet paper bag. All she could do was wait. The tension was becoming unbearable.

The living room door opened. Simon leered at her, his eyes were bloodshot and he had to lean against the frame to keep himself steady.

"Fuck yer," he snarled. "I ain't doing anything yer say anymore." Jasmine stared at him. He was looking directly at her but it seemed as if he was talking to someone else.

"Dad?" She asked uncertainly, her voice faint. Simon staggered towards her.

"Yer a filthy whore!" Jasmine was shaking; she had never been so frightened before but there was no escape from it.

"Dad it's me, it's Jasmine." She knew she wasn't getting through to him as he lurched ever closer.

"Yer think I wouldn't find about him?" He was almost upon her. Jasmine could smell his putrid breath. "Yer slag!"

Hanssen answered the door and stared at the caller blearily. As he gradually regained focus, his mouth fell open in surprise.

"Maja?" He said. Maja smiled slightly.

"Aren't you going to invite me in Henrik?" She asked him determinedly. Hanssen blinked and stepped back, allowing Maja to come inside.

"What are you doing here?" Hanssen enquired with an arched eyebrow. Maja looked at him incredulously.

"Didn't you get my email?" Hanssen shook his head whilst Maja tutted under her breath. "Never mind, I'll explain it to you now."

"I don't mean to be-" Hanssen began but Maja cut across him.

"I'm sorry Henrik, I honestly don't mean to intrude but it's about our son." Hanssen's eyes flashed.

Jasmine backed up into the corner as far as she could but Simon kept coming at her. She could feel his sweaty hand under her shirt as his fingers twisted with her bra strap.

"Dad it's me, it's Jasmine. Please stop!" But he either wouldn't listen or couldn't. He seemed convinced that she was someone else. Jasmine shuddered as she felt her bra come loose.

"Yer mine Paula, mine!" At last Jasmine knew; he thought she was her mum. That made everything so much worse. Simon grabbed at her breasts, digging his fingernails into her skin. Pain seared through her but she was pinned to the wall.

"Dad please," her pleas fell flat as Simon continued his attack. Tears began to roll down her swollen cheeks. "Please..."

"Hello beautiful," Jonny said with a broad grin as he came into the bedroom. Jac looked up at him and smiled.

"Finally home then," she said, feigning annoyance. She watched as Jonny began to change into his pyjamas. "You need to start working out," Jac said as Jonny pulled the shirt over his shoulders. Jonny looked comically affronted for a second and then he just laughed.

"I'll have you know, my body is amazing."

"Yeah? Who told you that?" Jac was trying not to laugh.

"You actually," Jonny shot back at her.

"I was probably trying not to hurt your feelings," Jac's response was as quick as lightning.

"That's not what you said last night," Jonny said knowingly.

"Just get into bed."

"Well I'm not one to refuse a direct order," Jonny winked at her. Jac groaned.

"It's a good thing I love you," she began. "Because your flirting is the worst I've ever seen."

"It works though," Jonny said with a cheeky smile as he climbed under the duvet. "I love you too," he added.

"I've seen mice flirt better."

"Oh yeah?" Jonny asked. "I bet they can't do this though." He leant over and kissed her on her lips. They lingered for a while before turning it into something a little more passionate.

Jasmine was on the floor now; lying on her back and watching fearfully as her father lowered himself onto her. There was a cut above her eyebrow and blood dripped down into her eye as Simon undid his zip.

"Filthy whore. Disgusting little slut. I own yer!" She was so scared now as she tried to back away from him across the floor. "Stay where yer are!" Simon screeched and his arm pinned her where she lay.

"Stop it! Get away from me! Dad!" Jasmine tried to beat him off with her hands but he grabbed them and twisted her wrists until they almost snapped. She cried out but her mouth was suddenly covered.

"This is what happens to filthy fucking whores!" Simon smacked her head against the floor so hard that Jasmine could see stars in front of her eyes and she knew that it was all too late. There was nothing she could do; no escape from any of it. She closed her eyes as he kept her pinned to the ground. His alcohol stained breath was all over her and he no longer seem to care how much he hurt her. Jasmine could feel the tears rolling steadily down her cheeks; she couldn't stop them. Whoever this man was; he was no longer her father.

TO BE CONTINUED


	12. Chapter 12

PART TWELVE

The clock on the mantelpiece ticked ever on, its minute hand effortlessly completing rotation after rotation of the face. Everything was bathed in an impenetrable darkness and the silence, so total, it enhanced the echoing tick tock. Below, on the beige carpeted floor, Jasmine lay in a huddled heap of blood and tears. There were scratches and cuts all over her face as though she had been attacked by some kind of wild, ferocious animal. Jasmine feebly tried to cover her face with her bloodstained top but found that she did not have the strength to hold it there. She whimpered quietly to herself as her arm flopped back on to the floor and silent silver tears mingled with the blood on her cheeks. She didn't understand; how could this have happened to her? Jasmine winced as a spasm of pain passed through her muscles. This wasn't supposed to have happened. It wasn't right. Every way she thought, she tried to rationalise the events in her mind but the truth was; there was no rationalisation to be found. What had happened, had happened, and she would have to live with it for the rest of her life. There would be no going back now; Jasmine knew this.

She yawned. It hadn't struck her until now but she was incredibly tired; but then, she reflected, she had been awake for almost twenty-four hours now. Jasmine turned her head on to one side as she listened out for any sign of Simon moving about upstairs. The house was silent as the night. She glanced down at her legs; they were shaking and she could feel trickles of blood seeping down to her ankles. Her head was groggy; she couldn't focus. The ticking of the clock went on and on until it became emblazoned in her mind. Through the darkness she could just about make out the time; it was 3 o'clock in the morning. Jasmine grimaced. Her eyelids began to droop; sleep overtook her and she fell headfirst into nightmares.

Jac woke with a start; she was sweating all over and her chest heaved heavily up and down. She turned to stare at Jonny but he was sound asleep, his face contorting with each breath. Jac yawned, screwing up her eyes and rubbing them gently with her hands. She looked over to the baby monitor on her bedside table but no sound emitted from it; Hollie must be asleep as well, Jac thought. She gazed down at her motionless legs and willed them to move as hard as she could. She was making progress, Jac considered. After all, that physiotherapy woman had said so. It wasn't enough however, she was still trapped and Jac found it unbearably stifling. She yearned to practice again; to save a life through her hard-earned medical knowledge and skill. It felt like a lifetime since her last shift and although Jonny had kept her up to date with all the comings and goings, it really wasn't the same.

A toe twitched. Jac was sure of it, a definite twitch. Her heart raced faster and faster; would the toe twitch again? She waited in the gloom of the early morning and as time passed, nothing further significant happened. She sighed, dejected but not defeated. Perhaps it had just been a muscle spasm. Jac shook her head. No, she thought, it was a twitch. Jonny groaned and rolled over onto his front. Jac took a deep breath and then concentrated all of her energy into moving her legs. Her heart leapt; had that been? No, Jac told herself, don't get excited, not yet. Her legs shook all of a sudden and then just as out of the blue as it had begun, they stopped and did not move again. Jac fell back on her pillow and lay awake, pondering what had just happened. All attempts of trying to sleep had fallen away but right at this moment, Jac Naylor did not care. She had more important things on her mind.

Jasmine shivered and then convulsed violently until she retched and vomited all over the floor around her. Even though the stench of the vomit was intolerable, Jasmine found herself glued to the spot by some kind of invisible force. It held her there and its grip tightened the more she tried to resist. She looked up at the ceiling with a slight jump; there had been a sound but as quickly as it had started, it was all over. Jasmine was unnerved, if Simon saw her in this state...There was no telling what he might do, not any more. In just one evening, her whole idea of her father had been wiped away. This was a new world and not one that Jasmine felt any desire to be part of. She felt her forehead; it was wet with blood. She couldn't remember hitting head; Jasmine shook herself. Many things were becoming fuzzy. She remembered parts in vivid detail but her mind had shielded itself from others.

One thing that Jasmine did realise, however, was the growing intensity of pain she felt all over her body. There was nothing for it, she would have to do something about it. A hospital perhaps? Not Holby, she couldn't let anyone from Holby see her. Jasmine shivered again when she thought of the shame it would cause her. If any of her friends and colleagues found out; they would never be able to look at her the same way again. She would forever be the unclean girl. Jasmine was so certain of this, so utterly convinced that for a moment she thought of one other way out of her plight. Jasmine shook her head fiercely as she tried to rid herself of such thoughts.

Maybe she could phone for help? Jasmine reached into her pocket for her phone but with a sudden pang, she remembered what her father had done. Her arm fell loosely to her side. The smell of sick had risen so much by now that Jasmine was sure she had inhaled some of it up her nose. She ran a hand through her knotted hair and a realisation suddenly hit her like a fresh bolt of lightning. If not to get help, she had to get away from this house. She stood up and swayed unsteadily on her feet. Jasmine flung her arms out to balance herself and with careful precision she stepped over the pool of vomit and out into the hallway. Standing in the hallway, Jasmine listened out for any signs of Simon but he was thankfully still asleep. She paused with her hand on the door handle and looked cautiously over her shoulder. She trembled with every movement and the shock was beginning to wear off.

Jac picked up one of her magazines from the bedside table and began to sift through it, using the light of her phone. After about five minutes Jac closed the magazine shut with a sharp snap and placed it back on the table. Not even looking at weddings was able to distract her tonight. Jac sighed. She cast her mind back over to what her physiotherapist had instructed and began to empty her mind of all superfluous thoughts and feelings. There was only one state of mind she needed to be in. Unsurprisingly, Jac found it almost impossible to rid herself of all this; memories from the past flooded her as well as all her current feelings. She forced herself to concentrate as hard as she could, remembering the exercises she had been taught but to no avail. She screwed up her face in disgust. This was hopeless, Jac thought in desperation.

"I can't do this," she muttered under her breath, taking care not to disturb Jonny. She didn't want him to hear her. "It's too difficult, too much."

"You are amazing," It seemed strange that this particular memory would enter her head at this precise point. Jac could see the words escaping Jonny's lips in her mind and felt the strength welling up within her. Maybe this was all she needed?

"Talk to me," Maja murmured. "Henrik please." Hanssen sat in a grim silence; he barely even registered the words she spoke to him. They were in the living room of Hanssen's house; one of the windows was slightly ajar. Maja's face was pale and she shivered as the cold night air poured into the room. Hanssen either did not feel the cold or just did not care. "Henrik?" Hanssen looked over at her, his expression one of utter distaste but not for her, it was as if he were looking straight through her. "Henrik, what's the matter?" Hanssen blinked slowly and cleared his throat. For a brief moment, Maja looked relieved but then Hanssen merely swallowed and closed his mouth again. Maja turned away from him; she felt beaten. There was no more energy left within her.

"Maja," Hanssen said; it was so sudden, so without thought as to almost have come from out of the blue. Maja did not face him but she acknowledged him with a simple nod of her head. "What do you want me to do?" He sounded helpless and indeed it was a little pathetic. Maja took hold of his pro-offered hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Just be there," she whispered. "That's all anyone wants you to do." Hanssen let go.

"Is that enough?" He asked wistfully. Maja turned back to him at last and looked deep into his eyes.

"Yes, Henrik, it is more than enough." Hanssen still appeared doubtful but the warmth of Maja's smile began to take hold.

"Leave me," Hanssen announced. Maja's smile faded; she looked taken aback by this sudden declaration. "Please," he continued. "I need to be myself for a little while." Maja accepted this but there was no way she could disguise the hurt behind her eyes. "Santorini," Hanssen muttered to the floor.

"I'm sorry?" Maja asked as she started to move away from him. Hanssen looked up at her.

"Nothing, just recalling a holiday I once had. A long time ago now." He paused. "It hardly matters now in the grand scheme of things."

"I suppose not," Maja said. "I'll leave you be." As she walked away, she looked back to see Hanssen staring after her; his expression was hard to read but Maja liked to think it was good.

Jac was still awake. She didn't feel as tired as she had an hour previous but she supposed that was due to her passing the point of no return. The point at which you give up on sleep completely because you know there is no way you can possibly drift off now. So it was for Jac who quietly entertained herself by practising some of the exercises she had been taught. She took care not to wake Jonny; he had shifted in his sleep again and was now lying with his head facing her. Jac felt comforted; it was good to have him close by. She carefully flipped the bedclothes off her so that she was bathed in cool air and, remembering what the physiotherapist had said, began some light exercises.

Jac screwed up her eyes and told herself to concentrate as hard as she possibly could on moving her legs. She willed them to respond. There was nothing; her legs lay as motionlessly as they had done for weeks. Irritated, Jac slapped her thigh. She froze. Jac looked all around and then with a quiet hand movement she hit the side of her right thigh. It was definite; she had felt an actual tinge of pain. Her spirits soared. If she could feel pain, then that meant...Elated, Jac scrunched up her eyes again and use every last ounce of her energy to move her legs. This time, she knew she could do it. She had to do it.

Her legs shifted. It was only slight, but they definitely shifted. This was a start. Jac felt the feeling rush back into them and it made her giddy with anticipation and excitement. Perhaps her life could soon return to normal; Jac stopped herself in her tracks. There was no point getting overexcited, not yet. She stretched her toes, bending them back and forward. She couldn't help herself, the enormity of this was too much to handle alone. She bent over Jonny and gently shook him awake.

"What is it? What are you doing?" Jonny murmured, his throat gargling. He blinked through bleary eyes until the image of Jac's excited face swam into view. "Why are you looking at me like that?" Jonny asked, his voice suspicious. "Don't tell me, has someone died?"

"Ha. Ha," Jac said with a faint scowl. "I wanted to tell you something," Jac began.

"What?" Jonny looked nonplussed. "It's not even light outside yet."

"Well, show you," Jac continued, ignoring Jonny's protestations. Jac looked down and began to concentrate deeply. As Jonny watched, Jac's legs started to rise up, until she was holding her knees in her arms. He gasped in amazement and then a broad grin etched itself across his face.

"I can't believe it!" He grabbed Jac and pulled her into an embrace. "I cannot believe it! This is incredible." Jac didn't say a word, she just enjoyed his reaction with the tiniest of smiles. It was enough to convey exactly how she felt.

Jasmine staggered through the cold night. Barefoot and cold, she could hear owls hooting in the trees; she was beyond terrified. The shock had all but completely worn off now and the memories of her ordeal kept flooding back to her. Every time she closed her eyes she could see Simon's red face in front of her; she could even smell the alcohol on his breath. It made her sick to the stomach but there was no escaping it. She had no idea where she was going, she just knew she had to go somewhere. Jasmine flinched; there was a sound like the snapping of a twig which fell lightly to the ground in front of her feet. It was enough to unnerve her, however, and Jasmine found herself trembling more and more.

She flicked her dark red hair out of her eyes and stumbled across the field. Her feet were frozen, wet and covered in sludge. She did not care, moreover it was the least of her worries. As she stepped out to the left, Jasmine realised too late that had she had taken a misstep and found herself face down in a ditch running across the middle of the field. Coughing out mud, she shook violently; the pain in her legs was becoming unbearable. Jasmine stared out at the far exit of the field and started to walk towards it, forcing herself to move as fast as she could without running. Her feet grew so numb that she couldn't even feel them anymore.

Several thoughts kept running through Jasmine's mind as she made her way through the sodden long grass. She wondered if she had done something to provoke Simon or if perhaps she had merely been asking for it. She couldn't shake the feeling of uncleanliness from her. She felt contaminated, dirty, used and above all that, she felt as if she had been summarily dumped like a piece of old rubbish. Hatred for her attacker had mutated into blame for herself. If she hadn't...These dark thoughts, inaccurate as they were, plagued her every movement.

Hanssen walked over to where Maja stood; she was watching him with growing fascination in her eyes. He attempted a faint smile but it was difficult to express. It was Maja who bit the first bullet.

"I'm not asking you to be Mr. Wonderful," she explained. "That's not what I want." Hanssen's throat made a swallowing noise. Maja laughed with affection. "I just want you to be the Henrik Hanssen I met all those long years ago."

"I'm not the same man I was then," Hanssen tried to explain but Maja held up a hand to silence him. "I've changed," he implored her to listen but she just kept on holding her finger to her lips.

"You'll always be the same Henrik to me." Maja paused and took a deep long breath. "Do you know what I see every time I look at Fredrik?" Hanssen shook his head. "I see you." Hanssen did not know what to say; he thought it best to smile and nod. It was enough for Maja. "You haven't changed as much as you like to think." Maja turned to face the mantelpiece. She took down a small brass ornament and began to twirl it around in her fingers. Deep in thought, she replaced the ornament without a backwards glance. "Come away with us," she announced. "To Sweden." Hanssen considered this, mulling it over in his mind.

"I've got quite a few loose ends to tie up here," he mumbled as though trying to find an excuse not to commit himself.

"Henrik," Maja said softly but firmly and as her eyes burrowed into Hanssen, he felt his cold exterior melt away.

"Okay."

"You'll come?"

"I'll come." They embraced each other.

"Don't tell anyone," Jac told Jonny. He looked at her with an expression of incredulity. Jac grabbed his hand and held it against her chest. He could feel the steady beating of her heart increasing. "I just don't want anything to spoil this." Jac was adamant. "Not until we know for sure that everything will be okay." Jonny nodded.

"I understand," he told her. Jac breathed out contentedly and closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep with Jonny's hand still pressed against her heart. "Goodnight," Jonny said softly under his breath. He moved his hand and helped Jac lie backwards into a more comfortable position. For a few minutes Jonny lay beside her but he felt wide awake now; he was saved the unedifying task of waiting for the night to die by the sound of muffled cries emerging from the baby monitor.

Jonny slid out of the bed and put on his dressing gown as he stepped out onto the hall. He pushed open the door to the nursery; Hollie's cries instantly became louder, the sound reverberating off the walls and bouncing back at Jonny. He walked over to the cot on tiptoes.

"Come to daddy," he said as he picked her up and cradled her in his arms. It soon became apparent what was bothering her as the smell from her nappy was almost intolerable. "I think somebody needs changing," Jonny whispered. He laid her down on the changing table beside the cot and, against her cries and moans, he changed her. It only took a few minutes and once it was done, Jonny placed Hollie with her fresh clean nappy back into the cot and laid her down to sleep. There were two girls in this house he had to look out for, Jonny thought and they were both sleeping. He didn't think he had ever seen the house look this peaceful before.

Jasmine broke free of the field and began to wander aimlessly down a deserted road; she knew nothing of where it might lead. Her feet ached enormously and they were sore with red blisters on her soles. She kept on walking, dragging her feet step after step. Her stomach began to churn and grumble. It seemed odd that her body would think of food at a time like this. After everything she had been through, her body still needed its base requirements. Her stomach growled again but she had no food. She had nothing on her at all. Jasmine thought back to the moment she had left the house and she wished she'd had the foresight to grab her purse, but it had all happened so fast. There hadn't been time to grab anything, she just wanted to get out of there as fast as she could. Another thought crossed her mind. She wondered if Simon had discovered her absence yet and if perhaps, even now, he was scouring the country looking for her. The thought left her cold and she prayed that she would not run into him. She looked down the road and her eyes were suddenly blinded by bright headlamps.

Her heart filled with fear and dread and began to sink slowly, ever deeper, until a rational thought struck her. Maybe they could help? The car was getting closer, its headlights brighter than ever. It showed no sign of slowing down. Jasmine stepped out on to the road, waving her arms frantically in the air. She was screaming, yelling at the top of her lungs. Could they even hear her? She waved her arms faster, staring down the headlights like the barrel of a gun. The sound of screeching brakes filled the air, high pitched and wailing as the car rocketed towards her.

TO BE CONTINUED


	13. Chapter 13

PART THIRTEEN

Jasmine could hardly believe her luck as she looked up to see the car stationary, only inches away from her. The glare of the headlights blinded her but it did not matter. Her head span but she was grateful to be alive.

"Are you all right?" The driver of the car asked with genuine concern as she clambered out and walked towards Jasmine. Jasmine opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. She gasped for air. In the light given off by the headlamps, Jasmine saw that the driver was a young woman; she had dark brown hair and striking hazelnut eyes. Her fringe curled neatly over the top of her neatly plucked eyebrows and her features were enhanced by her high protruding cheekbones. The first thing Jasmine noticed was a strong smell of strawberries. "I'm sorry, I only just saw you in time," the driver continued. She seemed shaken up but Jasmine couldn't blame her for that, she knew how she'd feel if she ever came close to knocking someone down.

"Where am I?" Jasmine found her voice at last; she sounded scared. The driver gave her a curious look and then wiped away the sweat from her forehead. Her eyebrows arched as she caught sight of Jasmine's bare feet.

"You're just outside of Holby; Lion Crest Road," the driver told her. "I'm Charlie," she announced suddenly, offering a pale thin hand to Jasmine.

"Jasmine," Jasmine replied, accepting the offered hand. Charlie smiled showing a face full of neat teeth.

"So what brings you out-" Charlie stopped mid-sentence; she had just noticed the myriad of cuts and bruises all over Jasmine's face. "What happened to you?" Her manner had changed; she was no longer jovial but serious. Jasmine shook her head fiercely.

"I can't say," she explained but Charlie was not convinced. Jasmine was as pale as the crescent moon that hung loosely overhead.

"Come on Jas, I know when something ain't right," Charlie attempted to get through to Jasmine.

"Please, it's nothing. I don't even know who you are," Jasmine closed her eyes as she tried to focus herself away from the throbbing pain in her legs. "I just had a nasty fall, that's all." She looked up at Charlie, clearly hoping that her lie would satisfy the woman's curiosity. It did not. Charlie paused for a few seconds. She watched as a bat fluttered from one tree to another. Everything else seemed unnaturally quiet; it gave the surrounding area an eerie feeling.

"Where are you going anyway?" Charlie asked, changing tact. Jasmine mulled this over in her mind before replying.

"St. James'," she murmured but she sounded uncertain. Charlie ran a hand through her hair looking as if she was deep in thought. After a short while she clicked her fingers with excitement.

"Right!" She exclaimed. "You can't walk there, not in that state. I'll give you a lift."

"Are you sure? I don't want to bother you," Jasmine mumbled. Charlie smiled again.

"It's no bother," she told her. "I was only going home anyway." She chuckled to herself. "Hop in," she gestured to the car. Jasmine hung back, she thought she trusted this Charlie, whoever she was, but then again she had also trusted her father. She could feel Charlie's eyes boring into the back of her head and it was clear that she was trying to figure her out. Jasmine climbed into the car despite every inch of her telling her to run.

"Thanks," she couldn't think of anything else to say. Charlie turned the key in the ignition and the engine roared back into life. She leant across to the stereo.

"Do you mind if I put on some music?" Jasmine shook her head. "I hate driving without music," Charlie explained. The cassette tape whirred around in the machine before the sound of KT Tunstall's voice floated out. "I love her," Charlie said as the car drifted down the road guided by the headlights.

"I've never really heard much by her," Jasmine admitted quietly. Charlie's smile broadened.

"Let this be an education then!" Jasmine returned the smile but she felt incredibly awkward. The rest of the journey passed in silence.

The sun was just about rising as Charlie's rickety old Ford came to a stop outside the entrance to St. James' Hospital. Jasmine had her hand on the door but Charlie held her back for a brief moment.

"Listen, you look like you could use a friend so how about I come in with you?"

"You hardly know me," Jasmine tried to explain but she was touched by the sincerity in Charlie's voice. Charlie laughed and her whole face lit up.

"I've just been on a late night car ride with you, I know you more than I know my own family." The mention of family clearly seemed to bother Jasmine so Charlie stopped herself in her tracks.

"I suppose it wouldn't do any harm," Jasmine conceded. She stared out the window at the hospital looming before her and felt an emptiness in the pit of her stomach. She had never been to St. James' before and she wondered what any of her Holby colleagues would think of her choosing to come here. It had a good reputation and that was all that mattered, Jasmine reflected. Her mind began to drift back to the night's events but she shook her head desperate not to let that overshadow her life. This was about her, not her father.

"Exactly," Charlie said as she wrenched open the door. "Damn thing gets stuck a lot these days," she muttered to herself. Jasmine barely heard her, however, as she started to walk unsteadily towards the hospital.

"I'll wait here," Charlie said with a hand on Jasmine's shoulder. Jasmine attempted to smile but she couldn't find the energy to. With a heavy heart she walked up to the desk. The nurse on duty greeted her with a gaunt expression; it looked as if she had been up all night as well.

"Can I help?" said Sandy; Jasmine noticed the name on her badge just above her chest. She could feel the nurse's eyes giving her the once over and she knew the reaction her injuries would receive. "I'll get the Consultant for you," Sandy said immediately. She slid away from the desk and walked up to a middle-aged woman with a clipboard standing outside what was presumably her office. Jasmine stayed by the desk, her hands clutching at the woodwork to stop herself from falling; her legs were like jelly.

"Hi, I'm Jane Goodman, I'm the Senior Consultant here at St. James'," Ms. Goodman said in a stern voice. "Would you like to come with me, err?"

"Jasmine, Jasmine Burrows," Jasmine told her. Ms. Goodman acknowledged with a simple curt nod.

Jac rolled over in the bed and woke with a sudden sharp jolt. She opened her eyes; the sun was streaming into their bedroom but there was no sign of Jonny. She wasn't worried; he probably had an early shift or something today. Jac's mind began to wonder, but then he normally said if he had. She tried to think back to the previous night but she couldn't recall Jonny mentioning anything about a shift today. She yawned, covering her mouth with the back of her hand. Her head felt as if she had just done an all-nighter at Albies. She yawned again and swept the duvet off her, hoping that the sudden rush of cold morning air would wake her up.

It wasn't until Jac found herself standing in front of the mirror that she remembered what had happened in the night. Out of shock she dropped the hairbrush and watched as it clattered on to the table. Jac blinked and then looked at herself in the mirror again. She wasn't dreaming; that was the first thing that hit her. Maybe it was a hallucination? No, she was definitely standing there. It seemed to her as if, at long last, the nightmare was finally over. Maybe now her life could get back to normal. She bent down and picked up the hairbrush and resumed brushing her hair until it shone in the light.

Ms. Goodman gazed at Jasmine with a sprig of compassion in her eyes. Jasmine knew all she wanted to do was treat her but she didn't feel up to admitting what had gone on. Not yet anyhow.

"Jasmine, if you don't tell me, I can't help you." Jasmine shook her head, she was still shaking. "You've got lesions to the face, bruises all down your legs and you're covered in dried blood." Jasmine said nothing as she gazed down at the scuffed floor tiles. "My point is, you've clearly been attacked but I can't treat you until I know exactly what happened." She sat beside Jasmine and looked at her in what was clearly intended to be a motherly sort of way.

"I can't tell you," Jasmine mumbled.

"Do you have anyone we can contact for you?" Jasmine thought for a minute. Her mother was more than likely still in India and the only other family she had here was...Jac Naylor. She didn't think Jac would want to be bothered by this. Jasmine sighed; the only person she had right now was Charlie.

"Charlie," Jasmine said in a low whisper. "She brought me in," Ms. Goodman nodded and beckoned Sandy over.

"Sandy, see if this Charlie is still here," Sandy just smiled as she went about her task. Ms. Goodman turned back to Jasmine who was still pale and shivering. "Is there no family we can call?" Jasmine made no reply and Ms. Goodman made a mental note to pull up her records as soon as she could.

"Please just treat me and let me go home. I don't want to be any bother," Jasmine pleaded.

"We're going to get to the bottom of this," Ms. Goodman informed her. Jasmine groaned.

Jac pushed open the door to the nursery and stepped inside. She saw Jonny in rocking chair fast asleep, rocking gently back and forth. Her mouth curled into a beaming smile as she walked up to him. Jac placed a hand on his shoulder, softly, and gazed into the cot beside them where Hollie slept peacefully.

"Am I dreaming," Jonny mumbled to himself as his eyes fluttered open. He felt Jac's hand on his shoulder and his whole demeanour lit up. "Jac," he said simply.

"No, it's Mo," Jac replied sarcastically.

"Isn't it a bit early for rhymes?" Jac scowled affectionately at him. "I must have fallen asleep in here," Jonny conceded as he looked around the nursery. Jac shot him a knowing look as she waited for him to notice anything different about her. He was being a typical man, however, and wasn't paying attention to the obvious. Jonny could tell from her look that he was supposed to mention something. "Your hair looks lovely," he offered unhelpfully.

"Try again," Jac replied but she was secretly pleased by his comment. He looked over at her standing there.

"So I wasn't dreaming then," he muttered.

"Nope," Jac replied evidently very pleased with herself.

"And you're sure you're okay? No sudden pains, loss of feeling?" Jac shook her head vigorously.

"I feel absolutely fine Jonny. In fact I feel better than fine!" Jonny laughed.

"That's, that's really good to hear," he said.

"Well apart from a slight headache but that'll probably pass lack of sleep most likely," Jac said in one breath. Just as they were about to embrace each other Jac's phone began to ring loudly.

"Aren't you gonna answer that?" Jonny asked. Jac sighed and took out her phone from her pocket.

"Hello this is Jac Naylor speaking, can I help you?" There was silence between them as Jac waited for the voice on the other end to reply.

"Hi, my name's Ms. Jane Goodman, I'm the Senior Consultant at St. James' Hospital," Ms. Goodman's voice was muffled but clear enough for Jac to understand. Jonny mouthed, "Who is it?" at her but Jac shook her head sharply.

"I'm calling about a Jasmine Burrows," Ms. Goodman continued. Jac was stunned. This was the last thing she had expected.

"Yes?" Jac offered uncertainly. She could hear the sound of this Ms. Goodman clearing her throat on the other end.

"I think you better come down here," Ms. Goodman announced and with a sharp click she hung up, leaving Jac to stare at Jonny in disbelief. Jonny frowned as Jac put away the phone, fumbling with it in her trouser pocket.

"Who was that?" He asked. Jac didn't reply; she was already walking back towards the door, her face expressionless from shock. "Jac?" Jac shook her head and turned back to face him. She swallowed.

"Something's happened to Jasmine." They both stood in silence, neither of them knowing what to do. Jac's heart was thumping; Jonny's chest heaving.

TO BE CONTINUED


	14. Chapter 14

**PART FOURTEEN**

The wind pounded them as Jac and Jonny rushed towards their car. Jac panicked for a second as her hand clasped around the door handle and wrenched it open. Jonny felt a gust of wind smack him squarely in the face; it knocked him backwards for a moment but he staggered back towards the car just as Jac slammed her door shut. With a final thrust of effort, Jonny clambered into the driver's seat and fastened his seatbelt. He pulled the door shut against the flow of the gathering wind.

"Are you okay?" Jonny turned to Jac who sat bolt upright, her face as white as milk. Her fingers fiddled with the seatbelt; they slipped and slid over the metal as she tried to fasten it. It was clear that her mind was on other things. He leaned over and helped her without waiting to be asked. "Jac?" Jonny's voice was stern and comforting. Jac turned her head to look at him.

"We have to go," she said monotonously. Jonny turned the key and the car roared into life. Inside they could both hear the high-pitched wailing of the wind as it continued to batter the cars and buildings around them.

"What did they say?" Jonny asked as he guided the car around a particularly sharp corner.

"What did who say?" Jac replied; she was still unnaturally pale. Jonny gently pressed down on the accelerator and the car began to pick up speed as they drove down a main road.

"The hospital! Did they say what had happened?" Jonny raised his voice to just below a shout as a lorry blared its horn in the opposite lane. Jac shook her head.

"No," she replied back to him. "They just said they were contacting next of kin." Her face turned grey as a dark thought suddenly struck her. "What if she's been killed?" Jonny had been thinking the same thing but he knew he had to convince Jac otherwise.

"You can't think like that Jac. I'm sure she's okay," Jonny told her but deep down he was not convinced.

"That's the point Jonny, we don't know!" Jac's face flushed with fear and a moment of regret. "She can't be dead, she can't be dead…" Her utterances faded into panicked mutters.

"They would have told you," Jonny said forcefully.

"How far is it now?" Jac asked as she took a brief look out at the road stretching out in front of them.

"Another five miles," replied Jonny. Jac tapped the dashboard impatiently.

"Can't you go any faster?" Jonny laughed hollowly.

"I'm already at the speed limit," he said. Jac shrugged. The journey followed on in silence after that until Jonny saw his mobile flashing in the pocket under the stereo. "Jac, can you see who that is?" Jac rolled her eyes and reached for the phone. She held it up to her face and peered at the caller.

"It's Mo, shall I answer?" Jonny nodded as Jac slid the bar across the screen to answer.

"Finally Maconie," Mo's voice crackled loudly.

"It's Jac, Jonny's driving." Jac sounded abrupt.

"Right," Mo said; she was momentarily flustered. "I just wanted to know what time to bring Hollie back to yours?" Jac rubbed her eyes as she thought desperately.

"I don't know how long we're going to be," she said after a long drawn out pause. "Is there a problem?" She could hear Mo's forced laugh down the phone.

"No, there's no problem. I just thought I should check."

"Left up ahead," Jac indicated to Jonny. Jonny nodded and turned on his indicators.

"Left where?" Mo asked in a tone of bewilderment. Jac groaned.

"Not you, I was talking to Jonny!"

"Listen just call me when you know okay!" There was a click and Mo hung up. Jac let out a long deep breath.

Charlie had dozed off in the chair beside Jasmine's bed. Jasmine watched as her chest rose up and down in time with her breaths. Several thoughts went through her mind but she was determined not to let them consume her.

"Are you ready to talk?" Jasmine looked up to see Ms. Goodman and a figure she didn't recognise standing over her bed. The voice belonged to the stranger.

"Jasmine this is Dr. Samantha Jones, she's a police surgeon specialising in cases of sexual assault," Ms. Goodman explained as Jasmine gave a puzzled stare.

"Why do I need to speak to her?" Jasmine asked; she sounded irritable. "I haven't been attacked." Ms. Goodman forced herself to look kindly at Jasmine.

"Jasmine, your injuries are consistent with those usually received by victims of sexual assault." Jasmine turned over in the bed away from them.

"I told you, I had an accident." Dr. Jones removed her glasses and folded them away in her top pocket.

"At least let me examine you," Dr. Jones pleaded. "You don't have to say or do anything, we just want to treat you to the best of our ability and we can't do that unless we know all the facts, okay?" Jasmine said nothing, her heart was beating fast again and she felt sick to her stomach. "Jasmine?" Dr. Jones tried again.

"Give her some time," Ms. Goodman told Samantha reluctantly. Samantha shot her a distressed look.

"That's the thing, we haven't got much time left." The two doctors headed away from Jasmine's bed to continue their chat in private.

"What was that about?" Charlie said as she opened her eyes blearily. Jasmine shook her head indicating that she didn't want to talk about it. "All righty then," Charlie said and attempted to smile. Jasmine did not return it.

"I'm sorry, I'm just not in the mood," Jasmine said apologetically. Charlie was not perturbed.

"Well I'll just have to smile for both of us," she announced. Jasmine had to suppress a small giggle. Charlie pounced on it: "See! There we go!" Jasmine shrugged.

"Can I ask you something?" Jasmine's voice was quiet and it seemed almost uneasy.

"Sure," Charlie said; she was still beaming brightly. Jasmine twiddled her thumbs trying to decide how best to broach the subject. "What's the matter Jas?" Charlie prompted.

"It's just, I mean, I…" Jasmine's voice trailed off as her thoughts took hold of her again. She swallowed and began again. "Why are you here?" Jasmine's breathing grew heavier. "I mean not that I don't like you being here, but you don't really know me and I just…I don't know." To her relief Charlie continued to smile. She took hold of her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"I don't know how to explain it," Charlie said in a quiet, thoughtful, voice. "I just know that I was meant to find you. That I'm meant to be here with you. Sounds crazy, I know but it's true." Jasmine didn't know what to say but as she mulled it over in her mind, she knew that it was true. Charlie was still holding her hand.

"_Flight AIC456 will arrive at Heathrow Airport in just under ten minutes, thank you." _Paula Burrows slid back in her seat as the announcement came over the tannoy. She watched as the fasten seat belts light lit up above her. She closed her book and slid it back into her handbag beside her feet.

"Excuse me," Paula turned to the old man sitting beside her.

"Can I help you?" Paula answered stoically. The old man cleared his throat with a dry, hacking, cough.

"No dear, well I don't think so anyway," the old man rambled. "It was just you seemed to look a little lonely, that's all." Paula frowned but she decided to bite her tongue as she responded.

"I suppose I am a little bit, yes." The old man shot her a toothy grin before dissolving into another fit of coughing.

"Do you live in India?" He enquired once his coughing had subsided for the time being.

"I do, just outside Delhi," Paula told him with a proud smile.

"You're coming to England to see family then?" Paula didn't answer as she stared down at her feet. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to pry," the old man added. "Always been too curious for my own good." Paula wiped her eyes so that he wouldn't see the glistening tears.

"It's okay," she said in a broken voice. "Yes, I'm seeing family." She looked away again as another tear silently rolled down her cheek.

"I'm Richard," the old man said, offering his hand to shake hers.

"Paula," she replied, accepting the hand.

_ "__We're just about to touch down…" _

Henrik Hanssen looked fondly at the many different items that had once cluttered up his office, now put neatly away into boxes. It felt a little weird to see the room look so incredibly empty but Hanssen knew he had made the right choice. A ray of light on the photograph of Fredrik in the wastepaper basket caught his attention and Hanssen bent down to pick it up. He blew the dust off and tucked the photo into his wallet.

"So this is where you're hiding," Hanssen blinked and stared as Serena Campbell came marching into his old office. She eyed up the boxes but made no comment.

"Ms. Campbell," Hanssen acknowledged her. "Getting your feet under the desk before my seat is even cold?" He asked. Serena suppressed a small laugh.

"Is that all you take me for? I just came to say goodbye and good luck for the future." Hanssen let slip a slight smile.

"Thank you," he said quietly. "Care to stay for a few minutes?" Serena thought about it for a few moments and then nodded.

"I don't see why not," Serena said; she watched Hanssen pour two glasses of whiskey for them. She took hers and twiddled her thumb around it. Hanssen took a small sip.

"I'm tired Serena," he said as he placed the glass back on the desk; the whiskey inside swilling around.

"Well you have put a lot of work into this place over the past few years," Serena told him. She took a swig from her glass. "Mmm not bad," she muttered as she set the glass back down.

"It hasn't been easy," Hanssen told her. "I'm not sure if I achieved what I set out to achieve." Serena stared at the frown lines on Hanssen's forehead; he looked somehow older in this light. The toil of working at Holby had certainly taken its toll upon him.

"In 50 years time, they will still be talking about the time Henrik Hanssen led Holby City," Serena said proudly. Hanssen shook his head.

"I fear my time here will be quietly forgotten," he said; there was a hint of regret in his voice.

"Nonsense," Serena cut across him. "You will be remembered Henrik." Hanssen didn't know what to say to that so he took another sip of whiskey instead. "This is your legacy," Serena continued.

"My legacy," Hanssen murmured. "Such an interesting choice of words." He finished his whiskey. "I don't believe this will be my legacy."

"What do you mean?" Serena asked in surprise. Hanssen took out the photo of Fredrik from his wallet and showed her.

"This is my legacy, my family." Serena smiled broadly at him and downed the rest of her whiskey. She shuddered as it burned through her.

"And there is nothing more important than family," she said gravely. Hanssen nodded as Serena stood up. "It's been a privilege to work with you," she said, extending her hand towards him. Hanssen took the proffered hand and shook it.

"Take care of yourself," Hanssen said in a quiet yet heartfelt tone of voice.

"You too." The atmosphere in the office was suddenly melancholic as the pair said their goodbyes.

"Jac Naylor, I'm here to see Jasmine Burrows," Jac said at the desk in a whirl of panic.

"Just one moment please." Jac began to tap her feet impatiently.

"Please I need to see her now!" The man held up his hand as he typed something that Jac could not see.

"Hold on," he said. He still hadn't looked at her. "Ms. Goodman will show you to her." Jac turned around to see the so-called Ms. Goodman striding towards her.

"Jac Naylor," Jac introduced herself.

"Well I can certainly see the resemblance between you two," Ms. Goodman muttered and indicated Jac to follow her.

"I'll just stay here!" Jonny called after them with a dry hollow laugh.

Ms. Goodman drew back the curtains and beckoned Jac towards her. The seat where Charlie had sat was empty and Jasmine was lying on her front, pretending to be asleep.

"Jasmine," Ms. Goodman whispered into her ear gently. Jasmine suddenly turned over and sat bolt upright. Her eyes widened in shock as she caught sight of Jac peering over her. "I'll leave you two alone," Ms. Goodman told Jac. She closed the curtains behind her as she went about her rounds.

For a while neither of them spoke; they just stared at each other. The last time they had spoken hadn't ended well for either of them and the memory of that encounter was clouding their thoughts. Jasmine winced as a spasm of pain passed through her body.

"Are you okay?" Jac asked suddenly, taking the first step. Jasmine brushed her long red hair out of her eyes.

"No," she said looking everywhere she could except at Jac. "I'm not okay." Jac could feel her legs growing tired and decided to sit down in the vacant chair. She couldn't help noticing how weak Jasmine's voice sounded.

"What happened to you?" Jac's question was barely louder than a whisper; her heartbeats were quickening. It suddenly hit her how little she really knew about this girl. She had never even given her a chance.

"Why should I tell you?" Jasmine asked. It was a fair question, Jac thought. Neither of them could pretend they held any great love for one another. Yet she knew there was still time to fix it.

"You don't have to tell me," Jac began; she was considering her answer in her head as she spoke. "I know things have never been good between us-"

"Understatement," muttered Jasmine.

"Well, yeah," Jac conceded. "I just mean, I'm here now. So, I don't know. Tell me, or don't tell me. It's up to you." Jasmine didn't answer at first; she was frowning at Jac.

"Sounds like a storm out there," Jasmine said as she listened to the whistling of the wind battering against the outside walls.

"Jasmine-" Jac began again but Jasmine held up her hand and she fell silent.

"I don't know if I can tell you," Jasmine tried to explain. "I mean, I want to tell you, I think. No that's not it, it's more, I need to tell you. I don't know," she paused to take a large gulp of water from the plastic cup beside her bed. She coughed and spluttered harshly as the water rushed down the wrong way. "But if I do tell you, you have to promise me something." Jac raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"What?"

"You have to promise me things will be different between us," Jasmine explained. "Please." Jac mulled this over; she didn't know how to respond. She had always told herself she didn't have a sister and until recently that pretence had worked without a second thought. But now it was all different, Jac couldn't pretend any more and seeing Jasmine lying like that in a hospital bed covered with scratches, cuts and bruises, made her finally realise something important. No matter the twisted history between them, they were still family. Jasmine was her family and they would always be drawn together by this bond between them.

"I promise," Jac said at last. She stood up and moved closer to Jasmine. "I'm so sorry Jasmine," she leant over and put her arms around Jasmine carefully. "I should have been there for you all these years."

"It's okay," Jasmine said; she was barely able to conceal her sheer joy at finally being embraced by her older sister after all this time. "I never exactly made it easy for you." Jac shook her head and Jasmine was startled to see the expression of deep regret etched across her face.

"I was selfish, all I cared about was how I felt. About how she made me feel. I took my anger out on you, shut you out when we both could have used some comfort. It's funny, you wouldn't think I was the older one here." Jasmine laughed quietly.

"I'm glad you're here," she said and squeezed Jac's hand.

He stopped and took one last look at the hospital where he had truly made his name; a silent tear trickled down his otherwise stoic face and with a leather bag tucked tightly under his arm, Henrik Hanssen turned away from Holby City for the last time.

"Are you ready?" Maja asked him as she stared out of the taxi window. Hanssen bent down and nodded. He opened the door and climbed in beside her.

"Airport," Hanssen instructed the driver. As the taxi sped up taking Hanssen further and further away from the hospital, he took Maja's hand in his and smiled at her.

"To family," Maja said.

"To family," Hanssen agreed. The hospital was completely out of sight now and Henrik Hanssen felt a slight pang as he realised he would never set foot inside it again, he would never again walk down the many different corridors or sit at the desk he had made his own. But he knew it was all worth it; family was everything. No, Hanssen thought, family is everything.

"Jonny!" Jonny could hear Mo panicking at the other end; she was talking nonstop yet none of it seemed to make any sense to him.

"Mo, Mo listen to me, you have to slow down! What's happened?" Mo took a deep breath.

"Jonny it's not my fault, I don't know what to do. It just happened." Jonny frowned.

"What happened? Mo, you're scaring me." He waited for Mo's response; she was breathing heavily and erratically. It was almost as if she was having some kind of panic attack.

"It's Hollie," Mo said at last after she had finally managed to regain her composure. "She's not breathing." The colour drained out of Jonny's face in a single flash; his whole body tensed up and he felt his hands go numb. His fingers slipped over his phone and it seemed to fall in slow motion towards the tiled floor. "Jonny? Jonny? Jonny?" Mo was still shouting but Jonny either could not or would not answer. He felt faint from the shock; there was only one thing going through his mind. How could this be happening?

"Jonny answer me!"

**TO BE CONTINUED **


	15. Chapter 15

**PART FIFTEEN**

_"__Jonny answer me!__" _Mo's words flashed through his mind but Jonny was rooted to the spot. He couldn't move; it was as if his legs had forgotten how they were supposed to work. He stared fixedly at his phone lying on the floor by his feet. There was one thing he had to do; he had to tell Jac. Yet as Jonny turned to look across the ward, another thought suddenly struck him. Now was not the best time to burden Jac with this. What was this? Jonny asked himself. They didn't even know what had happened, perhaps Mo had overreacted? Jonny knew deep down this wasn't true. He blinked. He was still standing there, still unable to walk away. Jonny cracked his neck and leant down to pick up his discarded phone. The call was still running.

_2 hours earlier_

Mo closed the front door behind her as Jac and Jonny struggled through the wind to their car. She turned to stare lovingly at Hollie who was sat on the side table with her short legs dangling uselessly over the edge. The little girl looked up at Mo and smiled faintly.

"Now you're not gonna give auntie Mo any trouble are you?" Mo wagged a finger at Hollie who replied with a giggle. "Thought not," said Mo. She scooped Hollie up from the table and carried her down the hallway into the kitchen. Immediately on realising where she was being taken, the little girl began to cry. Soft crocodile tears floated down her cheeks but she stopped when she saw Mo reach into the fridge and draw out a tiny bottle of baby milk. Hollie gurgled.

"Hungry then?" Mo laughed as she fed the milk to the girl who gobbled it down greedily. In moments the bottle was empty and Hollie seemed satisfied for the moment. Mo smiled at her again as she let out a small yawn. "Wanna go upstairs?" Mo asked. Hollie made no movement. "Sleepy times?" At this Hollie nodded fervently and Mo couldn't help laughing out loud. She picked the girl up in her arms once again and began to carry her up the steep flight of steps to the nursery.

Simon groaned and rolled over on to his back. Every inch of his body ached although he couldn't remember why. His head was killing him; the pain of the headache so blinding for a moment he wondered if he had literally lost his sight. Don't be ridiculous, Simon thought as he slapped his cheek hard with his right hand. The shock of the impact brought his surroundings swimming back to him. He was lying at the bottom of the stairs. He wondered how he had got there. Simon stood up and swayed unsteadily on his feet. The house felt eerily quiet even though he knew he wasn't alone. Jasmine was upstairs, still asleep most likely. An uneasy thought struck him as he gazed blearily up the stairs.

"Jas?" He called out hopefully but there was no response. No helpful answer, no reassuring call back. "Jasmine?" He tried again, this time raising his voice a little louder although he sounded hoarse and breathless. A sharp pain shot through his liver and for a brief second it seemed as if Simon was about to collapse backwards. It was sheer force of will that kept him standing. Something was desperately wrong, he knew it, but there were far more important matters on his mind. "Jasmine!" He raised his voice again, now barely less than a shout but still there was no reply. A terrible consideration began to dawn on him; maybe she wasn't here? He shook his head. That was preposterous, of course she was here. The girl was probably just catching up with sleep. Now he came to think about it, the last time he recalled seeing his daughter she had appeared to be very tired. Just as he had decided to let her sleep for another hour, the same pain shot through his liver again. Simon swayed even more unsteadily on his feet and began to climb awkwardly up the stairs. He hung desperately on to the bannisters for balance.

Charlie placed her phone back into her pocket and turned her gaze back to Jasmine. Jasmine was very pale and her teeth chattered even though it wasn't cold at all.

"Here," Charlie said, offering Jasmine her coat. Jasmine shook her head.

"I'm fine," she said with a faint smile. Charlie was having none of it:

"Don't be stupid, you're freezing!" Gratefully, Jasmine accepted the offer of the coat and wrapped it around her shoulders.

"Thanks," she said. Her teeth continued to chatter but at least she could feel some warmth at last. Charlie seemed to be watching her intently but she remained silent. Jasmine wasn't quite sure what she really made of her just yet; she had shown herself to be kind and generous and probably a damn sight more helpful than the majority of her own family. Yet on the other hand she didn't even know who she was, not really. Charlie stifled a yawn with the back of her hand. "You're tired," Jasmine said softly out of the corner of her mouth. Charlie grinned.

"Yeah, I suppose I am a bit," she said and let out a tiny giggle. Then she straightened up in the chair, cleared her throat and looked upon Jasmine in a much more serious manner. "So are you gonna tell them?" She asked in a determined whisper. Jasmine narrowed her eyes at her.

"Tell who, what?" It was Charlie's turn to narrow her eyes now.

"Ms. Goodman and Dr. Jones," Charlie began. "About what happened to you." Jasmine turned away from her.

"I don't want to talk about that." Her voice was final but Charlie wasn't giving up easily either. She tried a different tactic.

"Look Jas, you don't have to tell them everything…I mean I don't know everything myself, you just need to tell them enough to let them treat you." Jasmine fought back tears as she considered this. She didn't know why she wasn't telling anyone. Was it to protect him? The tears became a sarcastic harsh laugh that she struggled to stifle. She rolled back over to see Charlie was still watching her.

There was something about this woman that she couldn't quite put her finger on; the way she caught her looking at her sometimes. Though strange as it was, Jasmine found herself somehow liking it. It was nice to be looked at with interest for once. A pang of guilt ran through her. That wasn't fair, Jasmine thought. There was still Nick but even as she cast her mind back to him she didn't get the same feeling of serenity she got from Charlie watching her. Nick was nice, not very reliable but he was nice. Jasmine brought her left hand out from underneath the bedsheets and began to stare at it. She studied the scratch marks and bruises but she felt nothing. She felt no anger, no pain, just nothing.

"Jas?" Charlie's voice was like an echo, faint in the distance and fading further still.

Simon made a desperate grab for something to hold on to as he toppled through the open doorway into Jasmine's room. He hit the ground with a dull thud but quickly picked himself back up and dusted down his vomit stained jacket. The first thing he noticed was Jasmine's bed. It was empty. Incandescent rage swept through him and he kicked the foot of the bed. He achieved nothing but a new pain in his big toe. His mind began to clear; memories started to flood back to him. All thoughts became replaced by a single objective. He had to find Jasmine, wherever she was. He had to stop her. No, Simon thought. He had to explain. Yes, that sounded better. He reached into his jacket pocket and drew out the small bottle of vodka he had stashed there the night before. There were only a few drops left but it was enough to satisfy him as he knocked it back. He felt the empty bottle slide out of his hands and hit the floor.

"Where are you, you little bitch?" Almost as soon as the words had escaped him, Simon felt suddenly regretful. But it was only a brief regret as his mind became clouded again. He staggered out of the room and back down the stairs, clinging on to the bannisters as he had done before. Every part of him was still aching and the pain in his liver was becoming constant, gaining intensity with every step he made. He had to ignore it, Simon thought desperately. He stopped dead in his tracks. There was something on the carpet just next to the front door. Simon stooped down and ran his fingers through the soft brown dirt. "I've gotcha," he murmured to himself. Simon opened the front door and to his delight he could easily make out the faint pattern of footprints leading away from the house. They were small and narrow. Easily a girl's, Simon thought. The direction of the footprints puzzled him; where had she been going? He scratched his head and looked the opposite way. That was the main road over there, so why had Jasmine chosen to go that way? It doesn't matter," Simon told himself. Just find her. He put his left foot forward precariously and began to follow the path laid out before him.

Mo's fingers were sweaty as she fiddled with the small packet of peanuts in her lap. She kept one watchful eye on Hollie who appeared to be sleeping peacefully at last after a steady half-hour of protest. Something rumbled in the background. Mo looked up and stared out the window in time to see a flash of forked yellow lightning.

"Thunder," she murmured under her breath. It had sounded far off so they were probably safe from any storms. What was it you had to do with thunder and lightning? Mo wondered. There was something about counting. Was it the seconds between them? Mo felt sure of it. You counted the seconds after the thunderclap until the lightning flashed; the less time it took, the nearer the storm. Yes, that was it, Mo decided. She didn't feel too sure however. That had been about fifteen seconds. Nothing to worry about. The thunder rumbled again outside but it was faint. If there was a storm, it certainly wasn't going to be much here.

Mo turned her attention back to the stubborn packet that still refused to open. She tugged at it from both sides but her fingers would not grip the packaging.

"Come on!" She said a little too loud; she chanced a quick look at Hollie but the girl was still sleeping soundly. Mo breathed a sigh of relief but it was soon replaced by a muttered curse under her breath as the packet finally gave way, spilling peanuts all over the floor. "Dammit," Mo said softly as she got down on her knees and began to pick up all the peanuts that now rolled around the carpet. She didn't notice as a single, solitary peanut rolled silently under Hollie's cut and seemingly out of sight. Irritated, Mo scooped up the remaining peanuts and threw the lot of them into the bin. She didn't fancy them now that they had been on the floor. Her stomach rumbled. She looked over at Hollie again.

"I'm just gonna get some food downstairs, okay? Yeah you're okay," Mo couldn't help smiling at Hollie's sleeping face. She looked so peaceful as her little chest rose up and down in time with her breathing. It amazed her how much the girl had grown since she had last seen her. Her red hair, even more fiery than Jac's, seemed to shine in the faint light of the nursery. As her stomach gave another low moan, Mo snapped her fingers and walked away. She closed the door behind her; in the shadow of the cot, Hollie opened one eye and peered through the crack in the frame. The light of the hallway seemed dazzling to her but she felt safe.

Simon staggered through the cold, wet mud. His shoes were not made for cross-country terrain and every so often he had to stop to prise them out of the clutches of particularly sticky dirt. He cursed loudly; there was no one around to hear him. The sky above him had become increasingly dark in the half hour since he had set foot yet it could not be any later than mid-afternoon. He felt clammy. The colour was draining out his face but he had to keep going. He had to find her. Simon forced his legs to carry him forward but his whole strength was beginning to fail him.

"Get a move on," he told himself angrily. He staggered forward a few more steps but then he swayed severely and almost fell. He held his hand out to stop him and as he regained his balance, he thought for a split second that perhaps he was going to be fine. Searing pain swept suddenly through his liver and Simon felt his legs crumble under his weight. His insides were on fire and he was screaming as his face hit the mud. He was still conscious, spitting out fragments of twig and dirt. The pain became unbearable and his legs would not move. Simon groaned and forced himself to roll over onto his back. The strain of the effort caused him to black out for a few seconds.

Simon began to panic as his breathing grew more and more erratic. This was not happening, he thought in horror as his body exploded with a fresh wave of pain washing over him. He was sweating; small droplets of moisture rolled down his forehead. He had to call for help. Why hadn't he thought of this earlier? But before he could reach into his pocket to take out his phone, his liver seared again and everything went white. He could see dazzling stars shining down on him; they made him feel dizzy. His strength was almost gone and his panicking was replaced by sheer fear. He could feel his heart thumping strenuously. He was all alone in this godforsaken field of shit and mud. What if no one found him? He shivered at this terrible thought. Cold sweat started to drench him all over as his eyelids drooped and he slid out of consciousness. Tiny drops of rain fell from the sky and struck his face but Simon did not move. He lay spreadeagled in the wet mud, his chest rising up and down but he did not wake. The drops became a steady pour; they splashed all over Simon. He needed help but no help was coming.

"Charlie?" Jasmine's voice was hollow and faint. Charlie opened her eyes instantly and stared at her.

"Yeah?" She attempted to sound relaxed but Jasmine noticed the slight crack as she spoke. She decided not to question it.

"Can you promise me something?" Jasmine appeared to be pleading with her and she sounded so scared that Charlie almost felt scared herself. She had a nagging feeling she knew what was about to follow and she wondered briefly if she was ready for it.

"Of course," Charlie murmured. "Of course I can." Jasmine forced herself to smile but the muscles in her face did not respond.

"Promise me you won't think any differently of me," Jasmine said slowly and quietly. Each word was formed very deliberately.

"I promise," Charlie replied at once. She felt sure that Jasmine was about to tell her what had happened. The trust being placed in her was almost unnerving. Jasmine took a deep breath and sighed.

"It wasn't an accident," Jasmine began. Her chest heaved up and down as she spoke and it was clear how difficult she found it. The words hung in the air as Jasmine explained the events that had led her to this. "He held me down and he…" Jasmine's voice broke and she began to cry silently. She rocked back and forth in the bed; her whole body was shaking. "My own dad…" Jasmine forced the words out in between another bout of falling tears. Charlie had no words to say, she just sat in silence. Her face was a vivid white. "Dad's are meant to protect you aren't they?" Jasmine's question was almost an accusation. Charlie nodded.

"Yes," she said softly. "Yes, they are." Jasmine's eyes were red.

"He's not my dad. Not any more," her words were quiet but their impact was thunderous. Charlie reached out and grabbed her hand.

"What are you going to do?" She asked as Jasmine wiped the tears away from her face with her free hand.

"I'm going to fight," Jasmine said. Her eyes flashed determinedly. Charlie nodded slowly.

"I'll help you," Charlie started to say quietly. "If you want me to," she added. Jasmine's lips curled into a very small smile; it was almost unnoticeable except to Charlie.

"I do," she spoke softly but Charlie heard it loud and clear.

Hollie wasn't sure why she did it. She reached through the gap in the bars and pushed her tiny hand under the cot. Her fingers closed around something small. She paused, listening out for the sound of auntie Mo below. Satisfied at last that the coast was clear, Hollie grabbed at the object and moved her hand back inside the cot. She opened her palm and stared at the oval shaped object sitting in the centre of it. It was small and had a dull colour that Hollie wasn't sure of the name of. She lifted it to her nose and sniffed it. Her nostrils flared but Hollie ignored the warning. A crazy idea floated in her tiny mind. Everywhere was quiet as the little girl slipped the peanut into her mouth and began to suck. Pain swept through her; her mouth felt itchy and in her panic, Hollie swallowed the nut. As the peanut passed down her throat she felt the itchiness spread and follow it. She was breathing heavily; she wanted to cry but no tears would form. Her lips were beginning to swell up, red and puffy.

Mo pushed open the nursery door and stepped inside. The sight that greeted her caused her mouth to fall open. Stunned by shock, Mo rushed over to Hollie who lay motionless in her crib. The girl's lips were swollen twice their usual slice and there were red patches all over her body. It took Mo a few seconds to realise that she was no longer breathing. Terror swept over her; despite all her years of medical training she suddenly found herself utterly useless. Hollie was still not breathing, they were running out of time. Ambulance, Mo thought. She wondered why it hadn't occurred to her before. She took out her phone in her trembling hands and dialled the number.

Charlie's mind was whirring; she hadn't known Jasmine for any length of time at all and yet the connection between them was growing all the time. Every time she looked at her, she felt a tiny pang in her heart. It wasn't pain however, it was yearning. Through all the cuts, bruises and other marks, Charlie could see one thing about this girl. She was beautiful. Her strong auburn hair, redder than it was dark, glowed and her skin seemed so soft. Charlie wanted to run her fingers through that shining hair, it was all she could do to stop herself.

"Stop it," Charlie muttered. "She's got enough going on without this." But Charlie couldn't stop it. Her feelings grew stronger with every passing minute. What harm was there in speaking out? Her insides squirmed. There was plenty harm, she reminded herself as memories of similar situations flooded back to her. Every time Charlie fell for someone it was never reciprocated. Yet rather than develop a thick skin and she had kept coming back again and again and every time she had been met with the same. The same sorry excuse they all used. _I__'__m flattered but you__'__re not my type. _Charlie knew she couldn't force someone to like her, but just once she wished someone would. Her eyes lingered on Jasmine's face; she felt sure the girl was staring back at her. Charlie decided. Whatever harm there was in telling was less than there was in bottling it up.

"You're staring," Jasmine said faintly. "Something up?" Charlie nodded uncertainly; her insides had turned to jelly and she couldn't remember the last time she had felt this sick with nerves.

"I need to tell you something," Charlie began anxiously. She tucked her thumb under her fingers; she always did this when she was really scared. She felt Jasmine's eyes burning into the back of her skull as she stared at the floor.

"What is it?" Jasmine's voice brought her firmly back down to earth. Charlie gathered her thoughts; if Jasmine had had the strength to tell her story, she had the strength to tell hers.

"I think…I think," She fell silent. The words were forming in her mouth but they refused to be spoken. She shook herself and swallowed. "I think I like you." Charlie let out a huge sigh as she realised she had finally said it. She felt proud of herself for not saying love, it was far too early for any of that. Like was the best word, she was sure of it. Jasmine was awfully silent. The same fear that always struck her was beginning to wash over Charlie. "Jas?" Charlie said in a low whisper; she didn't want to say too much, it was best not to rush things. She needed an answer however.

"I need time to think," Jasmine said at last. She wasn't sure how she felt about the sudden revelation. She had never been in this situation before, she didn't know what she was supposed to do. The one thing that struck her was that she wasn't horrified by the idea. She could see the panic and terror in Charlie's eyes and in an instance all she wanted to do was comfort the girl even though she was the one lying in a hospital bed. She began to wonder if perhaps, she was falling for Charlie too. The feelings were alien to her, they felt strange yet liberating.

"I'm going to grab a coffee," Charlie said suddenly. "Leave you to think without distractions." Jasmine nodded. Charlie squeezed her hand quickly and pulled back the curtains. As Charlie's footsteps echoed away, Jasmine lay back in the bed. Her mind was teeming with thoughts and feelings. She closed her eyes; Nick's face floated in and out of her dreams but then as she concentrated deeper, she watched as his face morphed slowly into Charlie's. It grew clearer and clearer until all her thoughts were of Charlie and the bombshell she had dropped.

The waiting was the hardest part, Mo thought although it had only been a couple of minutes since she had phoned the paramedics. Their response times were averaging at around 5 minutes and so she knew that help would soon be there. Something was nagging at her. How had Hollie become so ill without her noticing anything before? Nothing about it smelt right. The little girl had been perfectly fine when she went downstairs; Mo was trying to mull the situation over in her mind, desperately searching for answers that she could not find. She remembered how she had left Hollie in her cot, sleeping soundly. The minutes ticked by like hours; each second seemed to go on forever.

_Present_

"Jonny!" Jonny found himself shaken back down to earth by the sound of Mo's panicked voice calling at him from his phone. He lifted it back up to his face.

"Get her to hospital now!" Jonny said; he sounded confident and commanding. "I'm on my way."

"What about Jac?" Jonny made the decision in an instance, there was no time to waste.

"I'll deal with Jac," he told Mo as his heart felt suddenly leaden. He could not afford to worry about that now, however, as Jonny started to stride away. His pace became a jog.

**TO BE CONTINUED **


	16. Chapter 16

**PART SIXTEEN**

"Coming through!" The paramedics burst through the double doors into resus carrying Hollie. Mo had followed behind them; tears streamed down her face but she was kept outside. The tears mingled with her mascara as it ran. Hollie's condition had worsened severely in the ambulance and the expressions of the two paramedics were grave as they laid the baby down. A blond man with a plaid shirt walked over to them, a stethoscope wrapped around his collar.

"What have we got here?" Sean, the on-call paediatric registrar asked sharply as he took quick glance at Hollie's red and swollen lips.

"Six-month-year-old infant, suspected anaphylaxis," the first paramedic informed him; his voice was dour.

"Get me 10 milligrams of adrenaline," Sean called to the senior nurse. "Now!" He barked as Kate fumbled with the preparation. The baby was breathing but only barely.

"Sean?" Kate said as she watched the paediatrician perform the basic checks on Hollie. The adrenaline seemed to be working but the child was still extremely ill.

"What?" Sean replied; he sounded distracted.

"I think I know who that is," Kate told him, staring fixedly at the red hair adorning Hollie's head. Sean stared at her, nonplussed.

"Who?" Kate took a deep breath before she answered.

"That's Jac Naylor's little girl," she said at last. The colour drained from Sean's face in seconds. Jac's reputation was fierce, even in the Emergency Department.

"You can't be serious?" Sean asked, desperately hoping that Kate was mistaken but the more he looked at Hollie the more he recognised the same features that had terrified him as an F1 student. Kate shook her head. It was at this moment that Sean caught a sight of Mo standing outside the doors, looking into resus; her eyes were blotchy and red from crying. "Who's that?" Sean indicated Mo.

"Mo Effanga, registrar on Darwin," Kate replied.

"Do you like know everyone in this hospital?" Sean asked sarcastically.

"Shall I go talk to her?" Kate asked, ignoring him. Sean looked up from Hollie, looking momentarily out of it.

"What? Oh yeah, go ahead. She's stable at the minute." Kate nodded at him and strode away towards the doors. "Where the hell are the parents?" Sean muttered under his breath.

"What's going on? Is she okay? Can I see her?" Mo bombarded Kate with questions the moment she walked through the double doors.

"The infant has suffered a severe anaphylactic shock; she's stable but we're going to have to keep her on observation," Kate reassured her. "Now if I could confirm some details with you?" Mo nodded but it was clear she wasn't paying her fullest attention. "The child is Hollie Naylor-Maconie, yes?"

"Yes," Mo said, her lips quivering.

"Parents Jac Naylor and Jonny Maconie?" Mo nodded again. Kate scribbled the information down in the notes. "Sorry, you know how it is. We have to be thorough. Do you have any idea where they are?" Mo stole another desperate look into resus; she watched Sean checking injecting Hollie with something. It seemed to help.

"Sorry what?"

"Jac, Jonny. Where are they?" Kate reiterated.

"St. James'," Mo replied. "Jac's with her sister. Jonny's on his way." Kate raised an eyebrow. "I called him" Mo added.

Jasmine made a small grimace as she lent over to pick up the glass of water on the table beside her bed. Jac made to help her but Jasmine shook her head determinedly.

"I need to tell you something," Jasmine said, taking a sip of water before setting the glass back on the table and leaning back against the uncomfortable hospital pillow. Jac looked surprised.

"You can tell me," she said uncertainly; she wasn't sure what else to say. Jac found these situations difficult.

"It's about what happened to me," Jasmine explained. She watched Jac intently, looking for any sign of a reaction. Jac just nodded instead. Jasmine took a deep breath; her face was pale, clammy. Jac had a nasty feeling in the pit of her stomach as though she knew what Jasmine was about to tell her. The feeling began to squirm and as Jasmine told her story, Jac's worst fears were confirmed.

"I'll kill him, I swear I will kill that man," Jac said angrily; her lips were pale and her eyes flashed with rage. Jasmine laid a hand on her upper arm.

"Please, don't," she said softly. "I'm not going to let him get away with it."

"Good!" Jac raised her voice at first but a look from Jasmine told her to calm down. "He deserves to rot," she added in a furious whisper. Jasmine stared into space; she was lost in her thoughts.

"I never realised how bloody dull hospital decor was," she muttered absentmindedly.

"Jasmine?" Jac frowned. Jasmine brought her gaze back down to Jac's.

"Sorry, there's just not much to do in here." She attempted a weak smile.

"Have you told anyone else? If you're going to fight this, you need to tell the doctors," Jac was determined to get through to Jasmine who looked as if she would rather fall back to sleep again.

"Don't worry Jackie, I'm going to," Jasmine said, laying her head down on the pillow.

"Don't call me Jackie," Jac said automatically. She sighed. "Sorry, I just want you to be okay."

"I know," Jasmine replied sleepily.

"The longer you put it off the less chance you have at getting a conviction. He will get away with this!" The curtains behind her opened and Ms. Goodman cleared her throat behind her.

"Jasmine needs rest, perhaps you could come back later?" Jac said nothing as she brushed past her. "Charming," Ms. Goodman muttered.

"She's just worried," Jasmine murmured from the bed; her eyes were shut but she was still sound awake.

"Yes about that, are you prepared to tell us what really happened yet?" Jasmine rolled over and pretended to fall asleep. "Patients," Ms. Goodman snorted derisively. "They never do help themselves. Always expect us to pick up the pieces." She scribbled a note on the clipboard before placing it back at the foot of Jasmine's bed. "And yes, you were meant to hear that." Jasmine opened an eye cautiously.

"That goes there, no wait that goes there. Hang on, but if that goes there then that has to go there but…dammit!" Serena swore loudly as the door behind her opened.

"Something wrong?" Edward asked. He eyed the pile of folders on Serena's desk.

"Are you only here to ask stupid questions or can I help you with something?" Serena was stressed and it seemed that was apparent as Edward walked into her office despite the air of fear that most would experience in the same encounter.

"It's nothing," Edward said. "Can I give you a hand with that?" Serena glared at him as she sifted through another thick and heavy folder.

"I've got too much on to deal with you now Edward," Serena yawned and picked up another folder before cursing at the coloured coding on its front. Edward frowned at her.

"Serena, how long have you been doing this for?"

"What are you talking about? You know how long I've been doing this for," Serena replied incredulously.

"No, I mean how long have you been doing this for," Edward indicated the pile of folders.

"Oh," Serena's voice seemed faint. "Not long," she said quickly. She made to pick up another folder but Edward placed his hand on her wrist, stopping her.

"You need a break," he told her firmly. Serena shook her head.

"I don't have time for a break, I've got to get this all categorised before the end of my shift!" Edward did not budge.

"Let me help," Edward offered but Serena shook her head.

"No, I couldn't possibly. Anyway you've got patients to deal with." Edward glanced up at the clock.

"As of five minutes ago, I'm off-shift." Serena shrugged.

"I suppose it couldn't hurt," she conceded. Edward smiled at her.

"Just let me help." Serena nodded and set about explaining where each folder was meant to go. She indicated six piles laid out in front of her.

Jonny sprinted through the doors and skidded into the ED reception. His desperation caused him to collide with a student nurse carrying a tray into cubicles. The nurse, who's name was Kelly, crashed to the floor, dropping the tray with a loud clatter. Packaged needles and other medication scattered haphazardly across the floor and under the seats. Jonny made a muttered apology but continued to run towards resus despite the angry protestations of those around him. He chanced a quick look at the commotion behind him and knew that he should go back and help but Hollie was only seconds away from him now. He couldn't stop. His heart was pounding in his chest; all he cared about was getting to his daughter. The doors were right ahead of him; Jonny's run slowed into a fast-paced walk. He pushed the doors open forcefully and strode inside.

"Sir you can't come barging in here like this!" Kate told him with irritation etched in her eyes.

"That's my daughter lying there so don't you dare tell me I can't be here," Jonny's face was white and there was no mistaking the fear in his expression.

"Finally decided to show then," Sean snarled. Jonny looked over his shoulder to see the paediatric registrar stroll casually into view. Jonny glared at him, his face flashing angrily.

"I came as quickly as I could." Sean snorted and looked as if he was about to make an inflammatory comment but Kate held up a hand to silence him. Jonny was breathing heavily. "Can someone please tell me what's going on?"

"Hollie has suffered anaphylaxis," Sean began; Jonny's eyes widened in terror. "It's okay, she's stable and improving rapidly. The swelling should go down soon." Jonny was not reassured.

"How did it happen?" Sean and Kate exchanged worried glances that stirred the hairs on the back of Jonny's neck.

"I think perhaps you should go to the relatives room," Kate said putting her arm around Jonny's shoulder. Jonny brushed it away and looked directly at Sean.

"How did it happen?" Sean bit his lip.

Mo stared at Jonny. He didn't move, say or do anything. He just sat there, his expression white and his eyes fixed upon the floor. He hadn't said a single word to Mo since he'd been ushered into the relatives room by Kate.

"Jonny?" Mo asked tentatively. He ignored her, his fists clenched. "Jonny Mac talk to me," Mo tried again. Jonny looked at her. It was a start, Mo thought but then he opened his mouth.

"Peanuts," he said; his voice was deathly quiet.

"I'm sorry?" Mo asked but there was a sinking feeling in her heart.

"It was a peanut," Jonny continued. He was staring at the floor again but his chest was rising up and down angrily.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh I think you know what I mean," Jonny snapped but his voice was still unnaturally quiet. "My daughter is in there fighting for her life because of a peanut that you gave to her."

"I didn't give-" Mo began but Jonny cut across her.

"You know I can't believe you could be so stupid!" Mo wished he would shout; this quiet anger was far worse. "You gave a peanut to a baby!" His eyes flashed furiously but Mo knew there was nothing she could say or do to make things right. "She could have died Mo," Jonny murmured but his voice cracked as he spoke. "She could have died." Mo felt a silent tear roll down her cheek.

"I'm-"

"Don't say you're sorry. I don't want to hear that," Jonny's lips trembled and his hands were shaking. He stood up suddenly. "I can't sit in here, I have to be with her." Mo made no effort to stop him; she wouldn't have even if she could. Jonny turned back to look at her. "I'm not sure if I can forgive you," he said and to Mo's horror she saw that he was crying. "I can't be friends any more." Mo felt as if she had just been stabbed in the heart; the pain was excruciating. "I'm sorry." Jonny made to open the door but then he turned and gazed at Mo again. For a brief moment, Mo thought he might perhaps have reconsidered but she knew deep down it was not so. "I just don't think I can ever trust you again," Jonny explained. "Not after this." He walked out of the relatives room, closing the door behind him. The echoing crash hung about the room as Mo sat in a stunned silence.

**TO BE CONTINUED **


End file.
